Value Maps

Leo Migdal

-Nov 12, 2025, 1:56 PM

Value-stream mapping, also known as material- and information-flow mapping,[1] is a lean[2]-management method for analyzing the current state and designing a future state for the series of events that take a product or service... A value stream map is a visual[2] tool that displays all critical steps in a specific process and easily quantifies the time and volume taken at each stage. Value stream maps show the flow of both materials and information as they progress through the process.[3] Whereas a value stream map represents a core business process that adds value to a material product, a value chain diagram shows an overview of all activities within a company.[3] Other business activities may... The purpose of value-stream mapping is to identify and remove or reduce "waste" in value streams,[2] thereby increasing the efficiency of a given value stream. Waste removal is intended to increase productivity by creating leaner operations which in turn make waste and quality problems easier to identify.[4]

Value-stream mapping has supporting methods that are often used in lean environments to analyze and design flows at the system level (across multiple processes). Although value-stream mapping is often associated with manufacturing, it is also used in logistics, supply chain, service related industries, healthcare,[5][6] software development,[7][8] product development,[9] project management,[2] and administrative and office processes.[10] Pre-configured root cause analysis workflow Default mappings make this easy for even new salespeople Allow selection of ranges for input estimates This page provides a quick overview of project profitability.

The charts break down the project benefits by “Opportunity” and by Financial Line Item. The table provides an overview of the project return on investment across various payback calculations. Because the time to value for each solution capability are built into the model, the payback calculation is shown to be phased in over time. This creates more confidence with the customer that the model is an accurate reflection of their time to value. Value stream maps help businesses understand the full picture of the steps involved in delivering a product or service. This article will help you create value stream maps in order to analyze and improve your processes.

Included in this article, you’ll find the following: A value stream map is used in manufacturing and management to visually represent the steps that a product or service goes through, from order to final delivery. Use a value stream map to create a comprehensive view of a process in your business and identify inefficiencies and improvement opportunities. A value stream map has a few key elements that are necessary to demonstrate the flow of a product or process accurately. The value stream map is a type of Lean process map: It helps identify unnecessary bulk in your process and visualize how to make the process more efficient. What is a value stream?

A value stream represents the series of actions an organization takes to design, create, and deliver a product or service to its customers, from the initial idea to the final customer experience. Each step in this process is essential to adding value. Value stream mapping is a technique — developed from Lean manufacturing — that organizations use to create a visual guide of all the components necessary to deliver a product or service, with the goal... The process of creating a value stream map takes all the necessary people, processes, information and inventory, and displays them in a flowchart format. By visualizing all elements that go into creating a product or service, organizations can apply lean principles to reduce waste in specific areas of their processes. In this article, we’ll discuss what value stream mapping is and provide guidance for how to develop an effective value stream map.

As companies and organizations face increasing competition and changing customer demands, they’re using Lean management techniques to become better at what they do. Daniel Croft is an experienced continuous improvement manager with a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a Bachelor's degree in Business Management. With more than ten years of experience applying his skills across various industries, Daniel specializes in optimizing processes and improving efficiency. His approach combines practical experience with a deep understanding of business fundamentals to drive meaningful change. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a transformative lean management tool that serves as a critical component in enhancing operational efficiency. Originating from the principles of Lean Manufacturing, particularly the revolutionary Toyota Production System, VSM focuses on mapping out the journey of a product or service from inception to delivery.

Its primary objective is to provide a visual representation of processes, identifying inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. VSM involves a careful process of data gathering, mapping current states, identifying areas for improvement, and designing a future state that streamlines operations and reduces waste. This introductory overview sets the stage to explore the intricate processes and significant benefits of implementing Value Stream Mapping in various business contexts. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a lean management method used to understand and analyse the current state process map and design a future state for the series of events that take a product or... The benefit of a VSM is in its ability to identify areas of waste within the processes. By identifying this it allows businesses to improve their efficiency and effectiveness, which leads to more streamlined operations and better product or service delivery.

“Whenever there is a product for a customer, there is a value stream. The challenge lies in seeing it.” Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a pencil-and-paper tool that helps see and understand the flow of material and information as the product makes its way through the value stream. It presents a holistic and visual way to deeply understand how work gets done and to design an improved future state. The roots of value stream mapping can be traced to a visual mapping technique used at the Toyota Motor Corporation known as “material and information flow”. The term value stream was coined by James Womack, Daniel Jones, and Daniel Roos in the book ‘The Machine that Changed the World (1990)’.[2] The tool was further popularized by James Womack and Daniel...

A value stream is the sequence of activities an organization undertakes to deliver on a customer request. To reap the greatest gains from viewing work and organizing the business according to value streams, it becomes necessary to analyze and improve each product family’s value stream. If you’re unfamiliar with Value Stream Mapping, that’s okay, as it’s not a methodology that has the same recognition as something like Lean Six Sigma. However, this doesn’t mean that Value Stream Mapping lacks a unique purpose as a way to document, analyze, and improve the steps involved in helping an organization or company deliver a product or service... The goal of Value Stream Mapping is to visualize the flow of materials, from the beginning of a process to its end. Better known as VSM, the primary goal of this entire approach is to identify the steps along the way that add value to a process and which steps can be eliminated, as they ultimately...

To add a little more color to what Value Stream Mapping is, it is essentially a way to create a visual representation, similar to a flowchart, to analyze and improve any steps involved in... As soon as someone inside an organization can properly map out the process from start to finish, key stakeholders should examine areas that don’t add value to the process. There’s a significant amount of coordination between VSM and Lean methodology, as it’s a way to control waste, which ties directly to Lean principles. The goal is to stop overproduction, eliminate any processes that lead to defective parts, and integrate best practices for handling the people and products involved in the production process. At the very top of the list of reasons as to why you would use Value Stream Mapping, it revolves around identifying and eliminating waste. Whether it’s overproduction, excess inventory, or something similar, the goal is to free up space in a warehouse by reducing excess stock.

Value Maps

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