Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

A complete knowledge and project workspace for seeing material and information flow, quantifying lead time and value-added time, exposing WIP and waiting, calculating takt and Process Cycle Efficiency, and designing a future-state value stream.

New VSM project
0 processes / 0 actions
Value Stream Mapping is a Lean method for visualising and improving the complete flow of material and information needed to deliver a product or service. It goes beyond process sequence by showing cycle time, waiting, WIP, changeover, uptime, information triggers and the relationship between customer demand and process capability.
Current state

Map how the value stream really operates today, not how the procedure says it should work.

Future state

Design a better flow using pull, smaller batches, level loading, FIFO, supermarkets, cells and improved changeovers.

Processing ≠ value-added

A processing activity is only value-added when it transforms the product or service in a way the customer values, is done right first time and is necessary to fulfil the need.

Process Cycle Efficiency

PCE = Value-Added Time ÷ Total Lead Time × 100. A low PCE highlights how much elapsed time is consumed by queues, waiting and inventory.

Takt time

Takt = Available Production Time ÷ Customer Demand. It provides the demand heartbeat against which process cycle times can be compared.

Information flow

VSM also shows how work is triggered: ERP schedules, forecasts, kanban, FIFO lanes, supermarkets or direct customer pull.

What a VSM Typically Captures
Process Data
  • Cycle time
  • Changeover
  • Uptime
  • Operators
  • Batch size
Flow Data
  • WIP
  • Queue / waiting time
  • Transport
  • FIFO / supermarket
  • Push vs pull
System Data
  • Customer demand
  • Available time
  • Shipment frequency
  • Production control
  • Information triggers
The 8 Wastes — TIMWOODS
Transport

Unnecessary movement of material or information.

Inventory

Raw material, WIP or finished goods beyond what flow needs.

Motion

Unnecessary movement by people.

Waiting

People, material, machines or information waiting.

Overproduction

Producing earlier or in greater quantity than demand.

Overprocessing

More work, precision or steps than required.

Defects

Rework, scrap, correction or escapes.

Skills

Underused capability, ideas or experience.

VSM Project Definition
Define demand, operating time and the value stream boundary.
Project Dashboard
—Takt min/unit
0Lead time
0VA minutes
0%Process Cycle Efficiency
0Total WIP units
—Flow health
Current-State Process Data
Enter process, cycle, value-added, changeover, uptime, WIP and waiting data. Waiting time is entered in hours between this process and the next.
#ProcessC/T minVA minC/O minUptime %OperatorsBatchWIP AfterWait hTriggerNotes
Visual Current-State Value Stream
Lead-Time & Flow Analysis
0Total processing min
0Value-added min
0Waiting hours
0Total lead time
0%PCE
—Likely constraint
Value-Added Share
0% of lead time is value-added.
Non-Value-Added Share
0% of lead time is waiting / non-value-added elapsed time.
Interpretation: Add process data to compare cycle times with takt and expose where WIP and waiting dominate the end-to-end lead time.
Waste Register
Capture observable waste and the evidence that supports it.
IDWaste TypeLocation / ProcessEvidenceImpactPriority
Inventory often hides instability

High WIP may be compensating for long changeovers, poor quality, unreliable machines, variable suppliers, scheduling instability or unbalanced cycle times.

Optimise flow, not local utilisation

A process can look efficient in isolation while creating excess inventory and longer customer lead time downstream.

Observe the real system

Go to the process, walk the material path, count WIP, time queues and understand how work is actually triggered.

Future-State Design Principles
Produce to takt

Balance work around the customer demand rate rather than local production targets.

Create continuous flow

Where practical, connect processes so one piece or small batches move without long queues.

Use pull

Use kanban, supermarkets or FIFO where continuous flow cannot be achieved.

Reduce changeover

Apply SMED to enable smaller batches and reduce the economic pressure to overproduce.

Level production

Reduce demand spikes and schedule volatility through heijunka / level loading where appropriate.

Standardise & stabilise

Use standard work, visual controls, quality at source and TPM to protect flow.

Improvement Action Plan
Convert the current-to-future-state gap into owned improvements.
IDImprovementLean MethodOwnerTargetExpected BenefitStatus
VSM Project Report
Create a concise report containing project definition, current-state data, lead-time analysis, wastes, future-state direction and action plan.