Value-stream mapping

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 from the beginning of the specific process until it reaches the customer.

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.

[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.

[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).

[18] The following two resources exemplify the use of VSM in the context of software process improvement in industrial settings: Hines and Rich (1997) defined seven value-stream mapping tools.