What is identified by value stream mapping in a process?

Value stream mapping is a visual tool used to analyze and design the flow of materials and information required to bring a product or service to a consumer. Its primary purpose is to identify areas of waste within a process. By utilizing this tool, organizations can visualize their processes in detail, allowing them to pinpoint non-value-adding activities, delays, and inefficiencies that contribute to waste.

This process mapping helps teams understand the current state of the workflow and serves as a basis to develop strategies for improvement. Waste can manifest in various forms, such as excess production, waiting time, unnecessary transport, over-processing, inventory, motion, and defects. Identifying these types of waste is crucial for organizations seeking to streamline their operations and enhance their overall efficiency.

While analyzing the flow of material is a part of value stream mapping, and cost reduction and customer satisfaction are important objectives of process improvement, the core function of value stream mapping primarily revolves around highlighting waste within the process.