Technical resources >> Operational Excellence >> Value stream mapping

Value stream mapping

SMEs manufacturing chemical products have challenges reducing waste (time, resources, personnel) which affects the company’s profit. Value stream mapping (VSM) is a tool which maps the entire business (including sales, material procurement, production and delivery) and identifies key areas of waste and their root causes.

The reader will learn how to use VSM in the chemical industry to reduce waste, decrease variable and raw material costs and increase business productivity.

Value stream mapping

Content

  • The value stream map
    • Key idea
    • Key components
    • How can VSM help companies?
    • “Must knows” for VSM
  • VSM symbols
    • Process boxes and data boxes
    • Material flow
    • Information flow
    • Timeline
  • Generating the map
    • Getting started
    • Steps and calculation of key data
    • Example VSM
  • VSM good practices
    • Parallel equipment
    • Logical flow versus geographic arrangement
  • Key messages
  • Glossary

Key Messages

A Value Stream Map (VSM) is a flow diagram of an entire production process, including material and information flow in connection with the required value-add and non-value add time.

VSM is a tool which enables SMEs to:

  • Improve understanding of the processes, inventory flows and sources of waste
  • Make decisions to improve your performance on the basis of an idealized “future state” map and to reach
    • Higher productivity
    • Lower material and energy waste
    • Lower variable and material costs