Value Stream Mapping

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Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is about identifying and analysing value from a customer/ patient/ service user perspective.

What is Value Stream Mapping?

Is a big picture perspective – it is the essential tool.
May be called a System Picture in some organisations.
Helps you see the sources of waste in your value stream and processes.
Focuses on improving the whole, not optimising pieces of the process.
Is a tool for establishing a vision and implementation plan to get to that vision.
You can use it to map your progress in improvement.
Helps to focus on value across a number of processes rather than just a small part.
Provides you with an action plan of potential improvements/changes.

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is about identifying and analysing value from a customer/patient perspective. It is a development of Process Mapping, with detailed data on time:

Waiting times between process steps
The time of each step and of the whole process
Who is involved in each step
What is value and not value added time

Key Measurements

Benefits

Provides a common language and understanding of the value stream (processes that add value)
Helps visualise the whole pathway and the relationship between processes
It shows the relationship between information and material/document/patient or customer/data flow. It helps to identify waste and the sources of the waste. It becomes an action plan of where to do the improvements first.

How You Might Use This Tool/ Method

As with process mapping, we start with the current state and use this to develop our future state.

CURRENT STATE MAPS
Detail exactly what is happening now and where the areas for improvement are.

FUTURE STATE MAPS
Detail what the expected system should look like after improvements have been made.

Mapping stages:

Identify the process / pathway you wish to map and identify the stakeholders.
Collect data to aid with understanding the process. Go & See the process flow, talk to the people that carry out the process, get real actual data.
Create the current state map. Map the process, add the data, show the flow of information.
Analyse the current state map. Review the flow, data, value added operations, non value added operations, wastes, bottlenecks, batching, duplication (use the waste wheel).
Look for areas of improvement Identify what can be improved by changing the flow or eliminating the wastes.
Create the Future State Map - This is a visual representation of your improved process.

Coloured post it notes are used to represent different parts of the process e.g. yellow for the key process steps, orange where information is needed from outside the process. Pink is used to identify issues/problems etc. (it depends what colours of post it notes you have). Green can be used to identify hand offs.

How to do it?

You’ll need to involve everyone who has an input/linked to the process
Protected time
Location – Close to the pathway/process you wish to map (ideally where the work happens)
Mapping toolkit - Brown paper, Post it notes, Pens, Flip chart, Stop watch to measure each step in process

Templates