A lean manufacturing technique used to analyze and design the flow of materials and information required to bring a product to a customer.
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a method used in manufacturing to visualize and analyze the steps involved in a production process with the aim of identifying waste and improving efficiency. It helps in examining both current workflows and designing future states with reduced time, cost, and defects. By detailing each step of the process, VSM assists in pinpointing non-value-adding activities, thereby optimizing overall production operations.
A manufacturer of automotive parts reduces their lead time by 20% by using VSM to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, cutting down the traversal time across the production line from 15.5 hours to 12.4 hours.
Typically applied during process improvement initiatives in complex production environments such as automotive assembly plants.
An electronics assembly company utilizes VSM to streamline their circuit board production process, decreasing material waste by 15 kg (33 lbs) per production run by optimizing layout and flow.
Commonly used in electronics manufacturing where precision and lean operations directly impact cost and quality.