Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is popular and hype to a point it makes it a kind of Lean emblem. An academic mocked a company’s low Lean maturity for not displaying any Value Stream Map. It was not only shocking to my ears, but proved the academic’s own low maturity on the subject. Value Stream Mapping … Continue reading Is Value Stream Mapping a skill worth mentioning?
VSM
Stop mapping, start improving
This post is part 2/2 of the series is Process Mining the VSM killer? With Process Mining on the rise, Value Stream Mapping (VSM) may live its last years as a Lean favorite tool. In part 1 of this two-part series, I stressed the limitations of VSM. Those were acceptable as long as no better … Continue reading Stop mapping, start improving
Lean 4.0: where will you Gemba Walk when most of the processes will be digitized?
Here is a prospective thought of mine. Gemba Walks are a one of Lean’s tenet and any practitioner is urged to go around the Gemba and see for him/herself in order to learn, understand and eventually improve processes. But where will we Gemba Walk when most of the processes will be digitized? How to observe … Continue reading Lean 4.0: where will you Gemba Walk when most of the processes will be digitized?
What is a spaghetti diagram?
A spaghetti diagram, spaghetti plot or spaghetti chart is the drawing depicting the physical flow or route of: a part, raw material in a workshop or factory a human worker in his/her work environment a patient in his/her journey in a hospital nurses in their station a file or paperwork being handed over across offices … Continue reading What is a spaghetti diagram?
VSM start on (false) assumption
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a great tool, that got really popular and stands as a one of the icons of Lean. In a nutshell, Value Stream Mapping is the schematic description of physical and information flow of a process or a value chain. It helps understanding the current situation and analyzing the causes of … Continue reading VSM start on (false) assumption
Value Stream Mapping is a tool for pivoting
“Pivot” has become a buzzword in business, referring to a shift in strategy or a significant change made in product, service or business model as a result of experiment. When a solution or an assumption does not lead to or deliver the expected outcome, a significant change may be required to adjust to the reality … Continue reading Value Stream Mapping is a tool for pivoting
March 2015 review of February
February is the shortest month of the year. It’s a poor excuse for my few February postings I know, but lack of time is nevertheless the primary cause of this historical low number of posts on my blog. Not that February wasn’t rich of experiences and inspiration, but turn ideas into written lines requires some … Continue reading March 2015 review of February
VSM Pitfall: unnecessary process
Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is probably the main analysis tool and the most used in the lean toolbox. Easy to understand and handle, VSM is the starting point of improvement workshops and kaizen events. It helps focusing on wastes and improvement potentials in any process. The ease of use and popularity of VSM make them … Continue reading VSM Pitfall: unnecessary process
Chris HOHMANN 