So simple yet nearly everyone, without fail, at the beginning of their Lean Manufacturing Journey, ignores the beauty of a Value Stream Map. How do we get from here to there? Where is there? If you have ever been to a “learn to write or learn to speak” workshop, it is likely you have heard, “just jump in and do it,” practice, practice, practice! However, Lean Manufacturing is all about “learning to see”. You must learn to see things from your customer’s point of view, full circle. From the time they place the order to the time they receive the delivery. What is done? How long does it take? Who does it? Why do we follow these steps? What equipment do we use? Do we buy anything? What is the lead time? A Value Stream Map is the way to see what you do that adds value for your customer. It seems simple, yet most of us never look at the map before we take off. Nothing is wrong with that; it just takes longer, which means more time and money. That is never a good thing for your business, and that is never a good thing for your customer.
Beginning the Value Stream Mapping Process
Did you happen to notice when you were walking around that something was not working or not where it should be? Did it seem odd that there was dust collecting on the inventory? Was the team working on a customer order, or were they working on something that had nothing to do with the customer order?
Did you see these things? If so, that is great! You are well on your way to drawing a value stream map. Now all you need to do is package it so everyone in the organization can see it too! After all, you do want the customer’s order to go out on time and exactly as ordered, right? It would also be nice if it contributed to the bottom line as well. Right!?
To begin Value Stream Mapping, walk around and really see what is happening in fulfilling the customer order process. At first, it is the big picture map you need to draw. It is a very rough layout, but like any good map, the details are needed, or you will soon be lost. For no,w just get the big picture map in hand. Take your time. This is the most important part of the value stream mapping process. You must know exactly how the customer order is processed and who touches it along the way. This is leading you to the “current state” of a value stream map.”
Hey, wait a minute! Where did this “current state” stuff come from!? The current state refers to how the process operates today. It is how you add or do not add value to the customer order. If you do not know exactly how the current state of the value stream is working, how will you improve it?
Sound familiar? I bet it does.
Grab that paper and pencil and a few members of your team and draw the map. Start with the customer and bring the order through the company. Be sure to map every step in the process along the way. Remember, it is a round-trip back to the customer.
Analyzing and Mapping Bottlenecks on a Lean Management Value Stream Map
The truth is hidden in the important details. It is the basis for justifying the need to change and improve.
The “important details” of the value stream map tells you how far the order travels, how much time is spent at each step in the process, who touches the order, how long does the process take, what quantity is needed, what equipment is used, how much inventory is in process, change over time per customer order, how long does it take to pull all the needed materials together.
It is likely there are many more important details in your customer order fulfillment process. As you lay out the map with details, you will find them.
Now that you have all the important details on the map, you can begin to analyze and locate the bottlenecks in the process. Find the cause for delays or quality issues. You will likely see what can be improved in the process. Isolate and eliminate the non-value-added steps in the process. In simple terms, take out the waste in the process.
This is the time to take action. There are differing points of view on when to begin eliminating waste. Some would say to get the waste well-defined, and others may say it needs more discussion and analysis. Both are good things to do.
Most people find that the best approach is to just do it and make adjustments as you go. It is the only way to become an expert and begin improving the process. It is also important that you begin so that you will find the root cause of the problem.
You have arrived at the next step in the Learning to See journey. It is also the fun part of the journey. You can begin visioning the “future state” of the value stream mapping process.
Whoa!? Future state, you say? What is the future state?
Mapping the Future State
Now the fun part of the journey: The Future State.
This is really the fun part, because as you eliminate waste and begin implementing changes, you will see things start to work better and faster. The work environment becomes more organized and in control. The output matches what the customers want. Customers who get what they want usually come back for more, and that is a very good thing for every business.
You know the current state, as you have just finished mapping it. Now you can begin drawing the future state. Drawing the Future State Map begins with looking at the Current State Map. What problems do you see? It is likely you will see unconnected processes, each producing its own schedule and pushing the output forward. You may also find large amounts of inventory or documents waiting. What can be done about this? We can ask a few questions to help guide the way.
A good starting point is to ask, “In order to meet the customer demand in the time available, what is the process time (X) allowed per item?” This will help you decide whether to make to stock or make to order. It is usually a combination of the two.
It is likely you have already learned to see the waste in the process and have many good ideas on how to improve. Now is a good time to start.
Using a different color pencil, write in your improvements on the current state map. It is likely that some things cannot be changed right away due to design, machinery, or other factors. The key is, “What can we do with what we have?” Over time, you can address those other things that cannot be changed easily.
Now that you have identified the improvements, you can draw the Future State Value Stream Map with information flows, material flows, and improvements specified.
Achieving the Future State
This is the time to break the Future State Value Stream into steps and set the plan. You will need to have the Future State Value Stream Map in front of you. As you look at the map, what areas can be made into segments in the process?
Once the segments have been identified and agreed upon by the team, the segments can be prioritized from most important to least important. Each segment will need to have the objectives defined and a timeline set. It is important that the objectives be written and agreed to by the team.
It is also important to identify and write the goals for each segment. This will help the team know when the segment of improvement has been completed, and a well-deserved celebration is in order!
It is not always easy to answer the question, “Where do we start?” Usually, it is best to start where the process is well understood by the people working in the segment. It could also be where you believe the likelihood of success is high because people in the segment are excited about the opportunity to improve things. Another good place to start is where the improvements have the most impact on the bottom line.
At this point, the team is likely very excited and anxious to get going. The natural tendency is to try to control the energy and keep things as focused as possible on one segment at a time. This is a good way to kick off the implementation; however, it is likely you will find you can work on several segments at the same time. Just remember to keep it to the plan in front of you. The key is to ensure that each segment has objectives and goals that everyone can follow.
Finally, it is very typical for the value stream team to become extremely focused on achieving the objectives and goals. This is outstanding and certainly one of the great things about a value stream process. It can also be harmful to the organization if everyone is not included and informed about the progress and the “why” of the value stream. Be sure to communicate often and report both the good and the bad things that have been learned during the improvement process.
Good luck, and remember, continual improvement is a never-ending process.
