If you’re like many business leaders, when you face a problem, your first instinct might be to fix it as soon as possible. This eagerness can be an asset, but when your problem is one of process, it pays to approach your solution more carefully; otherwise, you risk running into the same problems again and again.
At Innovia Consulting, we use Value Stream Mapping to help our clients address process problems. It’s an effective way to understand a process, identify its issues, and then make an action plan to improve.
The first step is to map your existing process. This step is especially helpful if some of your processes are not well-documented or defined. Let’s take a look at a few ways to do this.
When thinking about Value Stream Mapping, it’s helpful to start from a point of familiarity. Nearly everyone in the business world knows and likely has used flow charts to illustrate a process. A typical flow chart consists of the following items:
Figure 1: Example of a typical flow chart
This type of mapping is great for mapping out logic flow, but it does not work as well when defining a cross-functional business process. When working through this type of process, I recommend using one of two Swim Lane Map options below.
Figure 2: Example of Swim Lane Map 1 (click image to view larger version)
This version of the Swim Lane Map has a high level of detail for each activity. Using it helps you gain a deeper understanding of individual activities in a process. It includes the following elements:
Figure 3: Example of Swim Lane Map 2 (click image to view larger version)
This alternative Swim Lane Map option is visualized horizontally and includes Flow Chart Symbols to represent its logic. This type of mapping shows you:
Compared to the previous option, this Swim Lane Map is better for capturing the overall process logic flow and functional handoffs.
Regardless of which type of mapping you use, your goals are the same:
Once you have outlined your Current State map, how do you evaluate what should be different for your Future State map?
The most straightforward way to discover areas for improvement is to run through a series of questions about your process:
A handy tool, when querying the process, is to also ask if there are areas where the Eight Wastes of Lean apply. At first these may seem oriented to manufacturing, but in reality, they apply to any process:
Once you’ve delved into these questions, you are bound to find ideas for process optimizations and, likely, even more questions to help you build an improved Future State map.
Now that I’ve discussed the components of the process, let’s outline a general procedure that you can follow to conduct your Value Stream Mapping sessions.
The first step is to map your current process. We recommend you scope this project so it can be completed in one-day and include a cross-functional team of knowledgeable doers (usually middle managers).
Once you have your Current State map, start asking questions of the process. Determine what’s important, what’s not, what can be eliminated, and what can be changed. Classify your activities by whether they add value or not.
Once you’ve done all that, you’re ready to examine the findings. This step is where you determine what you will do to change your process. At Innovia, we divide action items into three types:
These action items are intended to shift your process into the Future State Map, which you produce in another session with your team after you share your findings.
I hope this brief outline of the Value Stream Mapping process has been helpful to you. I have found it to be an effective way for businesses to streamline processes so they can create more value for their customers.
Before I close, I want to share some recommendations for how to conduct meetings with your Value Stream Mapping team.
Every company is different, but we have found that these guidelines ensure your workshop is as effective as it can be. I hope this exploration of the Value Stream Mapping process is useful to you and your organization.
While this article is original Innovia content, it first appeared online at: https://blog.dynamiccommunities.com/magazine/what-if-your-process-is-the-problem.