How to Get Started: Part Six - Implementation IV: Value Stream Mapping 5 - Pick a Product to Map
First, you need to pick what you want to map. This means you need to pick a specific product (or product family...but the members of the family need to be pretty closely related). You can pick just about any product but you can't simply map your "manufacturing process" because you'll have to account for too many variables. Different materials, different routings, different quality standards, etc. You won't get past the "Current State" map. Pick a specific product and stick with that. (Even so, you'll find the team will often stray into bringing up steps, factors, variables, etc. relevant to other products. You'll need to continually ask, "Is what you're saying relevant to this product only?")
Which product to pick? I have a book that gives a complex approach of gathering and analyzing information as a way of deciding which product to VSM. I've never found this to be necessary. Usually, I just say, "Let's pick a product and let's have a good reason for picking it. A good reason can be that it's our most important product, i.e., highest volume, highest margin, most important customer. Another good reason can be that it's our most problematic product, i.e., hard to make, low quality, low productivity, lots of customer dissatisfaction, poor customer service." Usually, the leadership team does a good job of picking a product that everyone will be jazzed about once they hear this. They tend to know which products meet these criteria without an involved study.
Who picks the product? The leadership team. It's part of their responsibility as champions of the overall agile initiative. Can't somebody below the leadership team pick a product to VSM? Sure, but, in the initial stages of an agile implementation, it's better if leadership chooses the target of VSM activities.
Do you have to pick a product to map? Can't you pick another process like new product development or order entry? Sure and these are great processes to map. But you should get a product map going first.
Next time, we'll talk about establishing a VSM team.
Which product to pick? I have a book that gives a complex approach of gathering and analyzing information as a way of deciding which product to VSM. I've never found this to be necessary. Usually, I just say, "Let's pick a product and let's have a good reason for picking it. A good reason can be that it's our most important product, i.e., highest volume, highest margin, most important customer. Another good reason can be that it's our most problematic product, i.e., hard to make, low quality, low productivity, lots of customer dissatisfaction, poor customer service." Usually, the leadership team does a good job of picking a product that everyone will be jazzed about once they hear this. They tend to know which products meet these criteria without an involved study.
Who picks the product? The leadership team. It's part of their responsibility as champions of the overall agile initiative. Can't somebody below the leadership team pick a product to VSM? Sure, but, in the initial stages of an agile implementation, it's better if leadership chooses the target of VSM activities.
Do you have to pick a product to map? Can't you pick another process like new product development or order entry? Sure and these are great processes to map. But you should get a product map going first.
Next time, we'll talk about establishing a VSM team.
Posted by George Bohan at Friday, October 09. 2009 
Categories: How to Implement Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping
Categories: How to Implement Lean Manufacturing, Value Stream Mapping
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