|
Most
of the opportunities that we find in the process of consulting with
manufacturing companies have been there for years, overlooked every single day.
The
daily pace does not give us the vision and the time. Value Stream Mapping
Analysis is the right tool to focus our attention on the current process and the
many opportunities there are for its optimization. The goal of the VSM – Value
Stream Map Analysis is to determine which of the operations add value and which
do not. It is amazing how much energy, space, materials, labor, and effort is
put into doing nothing for the product! It is typical to overlook these wastes
because they have traditionally been considered as a part of the process. In
today’s competitive world though, we really need to rethink it and pay
attention to waste reduction, it is affecting our cost and can be devastating in
short or long term for our business.
VSM
– Value Stream Mapping is an analytical strategy to assess the value we really
are adding in the process from the perspective of the customer.
In
the traditional Manufacturing operation, more than 90% of the resources are
applied into activities that Do NOT add any value to the product!
Lean
Manufacturing through a VSM – Value Stream Map Analysis can help discover
these wastes of resources and bring the process to a higher performance in just
a few days. When we can show the process and its wastes in a graphic
representation it is easier to understand by everyone and many of those issues
are immediately resolved.
The
idea is to analyze what we are doing during the total Lead-Time. That is all the
time that runs from the moment we start touching the raw materials until we can
ship the finished product to the customer. Henry Ford made a number of
observations and focused on expediting the lead-time in his Automotive Plant. He
is credited of having said, “The longer a product stays in our plant, the
bigger our cost.” Many of those basic concepts are still present in the most
modern assembly facilities around the World.
The
VSM Value Stream Map is very much like a Flow-Chart, but differs in the
attention it pays to the time taken by each process and the Inventory Levels.
Those two factors are vital in the health of any Manufacturing Operation. We
thoroughly explain this in our "Keys
to Lean Implementation" E-Handbook.
Value
Stream Mapping is, like many of the Lean activities, something that is moving
all the time. If you already had one made even if a short time ago, the best you
can do is to update it with any improvements that might have taken place. Now
that is your "New" Current State Value Stream Map. Bring your team
together and look for new opportunities. The bad news is: "You will never
be done with this" The good news is: "You will keep improving your
operation over and over!"
|
"Value
is added only when our action or operation contributes to transform the
materials into the product that the customer is willing to pay
for." |
If
you want to get a Jump-Start in this magnificent tool, You probably should think
of Giving
Us an Opportunity to show how much you can improve your business in a very
few days and keep improving forever.
VSM
- Value Stream Mapping turns into a Culture for everyone in the Company. We all
will be constantly thinking and assessing if any of the actions we see and take
for granted, are or are NOT "adding value" in the eyes of the
customer.
AT NO COST
TO YOU you can
support our website when you
visit our sponsors and advertisers
and get valuable information from them.
They make it possible for us to keep this
free service up to date for you.
Thank you!
|
