3.0 Contact Hours ($29.99)

Welcome to Value Stream Mapping!

Description:

Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a key Lean tool that visually represents the flow of materials and information needed to deliver a product or service to a customer. By using VSM, organizations can pinpoint inefficiencies, bottlenecks, and waste within a process, leading to enhanced operational performance and improved customer satisfaction. You will learn to differentiate between value-added activities and waste, measure and assess process flow to uncover delays and inefficiencies and apply visual mapping techniques to optimize workflows. You will also learn a hands-on application to create three sequential maps for a real-world process that include:

1. Current State Map – Identifies existing inefficiencies and bottlenecks
2. Future State Map – Pinpoints potential Lean-driven improvements
3. Ideal State Map – Envisions a fully optimized, waste-free process

You will be equipped to use Value Stream Mapping as a powerful tool for continuous improvement, driving efficiency and quality in your work environment. Note: An assignment is not required in this course.

Purpose of Value Stream Mapping

Through the development of a value stream map, you will learn how to design a simplistic value stream map based on your laboratory process. This involves developing a current state map to understand the workflow, including identifying the supplier, customer, and 5-7 high-level steps in between.

In this process, you will learn to identify:

• Non-value-added (NVA) activities
• Value-added (VA) work
• Bottlenecks
• Redundant paths within the current state

Upon the understanding of development of a current state map, we will review the findings with our team and brainstorm opportunities for improvement. The objective is to eliminate non-value-added steps and redesign the process for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

The goal of value stream mapping is to develop a future state map that implements process improvements, eliminates waste, and creates a streamlined, waste-free, and efficient process.

Metrics for Value Stream Mapping

During the mapping exercise, we will discuss relevant metrics to accurately measure and compare the current and future state processes. These metrics include:

• Cycle Time (CT): The total time required to complete a process step.
• Takt Time: The rate at which a product or service needs to be completed to meet customer demand.
• Lead Time: The total time taken from the initiation to the completion of a process.
• Value-Added Time vs. Non-Value-Added Time: A comparison to determine process efficiency.
• Percent Efficiency: The proportion of value-added work to the total process time.

Who Should Take this Course?

This course is designed to provide laboratory managers, administrators, technicians, and all employees involved in a Lean initiative.

The Course Structure

In this course, we will take a step-by-step approach to develop each section of a current and future state map. To enhance the learning experience, it is recommended to print out the value stream map template provided with the course and practice each step as we progress. The course includes:

1. Short instructional videos
2. Quiz-10 questions
3. Operational quiz-2 questions
4. No Assignment!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Summarize wasteful activities in a current state map
   • Identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and non-value-added steps in laboratory workflows.
2. Estimate the origin of non-value-added activities within laboratory workflow
   • Recognize inefficiencies and areas for potential improvement.
3. Describe redesign ideas for a future state map that contain only value-added processes
   • Understand streamlined workflows that minimize wasteful handoffs and improve overall process efficiency.

By mastering the concepts and techniques covered in this course, you will be equipped with the skills to analyze and improve processes, enhancing overall productivity and customer value.