Value Stream Mapping

Martin and Osterling treat value stream mapping as a leadership activity rather than a lean tool, and structure the book around running a mapping exercise from end to end. It covers selecting a value stream and setting its scope, preparing the charter, running the mapping event with the people who actually do the work, and moving from a current state map to a future state and a transformation plan. The metrics used are process time, lead time and percent complete and accurate, and the authors are precise about gathering them by walking the work rather than by asking in a meeting. Examples come from office and service settings as well as manufacturing, which makes the method easy to apply to a request that crosses several departments. Useful before any improvement programme, because it shows where the waiting is.