ABSTRACT
Value stream mapping is based on Toyota’s material and information flow diagrams, and provides an effective framework for depicting the process in a way that highlights waste and the negative effect it has on overall process performance and flow. A value stream map (VSM) consists of three main components: material flow; information flow; and time line. There are a number of reasons why a VSM should be one of the first tasks a lean team undertakes: it gives the team a sense of flow, inventory, and bottlenecks. A key feature of a well-crafted VSM is that it makes it easy to see flow and understand detractors to smooth, continuous flow. Selecting a subset of the full range of products made in a facility can simplify both the flow mapping and the data-gathering effort and is often recommended. Takt and cycle time are two of the most important parameters to appear on a VSM.
