A value stream is the series of activities used by an organization to deliver a product or service to an external or internal customer. A value stream map breaks down the process time for each activity, the lead time between activities, and the success rate. The map is depicted as a flow chart annotated with key metrics. Key metrics are lead time, process time, activity ratio, rolled % complete & accurate. Often a current state map is used to derive a future state map with process improvements. (TBD)
"Lean thinking defines value as providing benefit to the customer; anything else is waste." – Eric Ries
Notes
- What activities are being performed?
- Who delivers those activities? How much of their time is dedicated to those activities?
- What is the yield, i.e. ‘right first time’? What % of rework is generated? What causes rework?
- What tools are required to complete the step? And what other inputs are required?
- How many units (e.g. work packages) are ‘work in progress’ within this step?
- How many units are waiting in the ‘inbox’? How will they be prioritized or scheduled? How long will they, typically, wait for?
- How long does the step take? How much of that time is effort, or touch time, versus duration, or in-process lead-time?
Related
See Also
- Software Design Description (Wikipedia)
- How to Write an Effective Design Document (Scott Hackett, SlickEdit)
- Example: Displaying a Web Page in Chrome (Chromium Project)