Process Mapping Flowcharts; How to map the Value Stream

Just what are process mapping flowcharts and how do you discover how to map the value stream? By mapping out exactly what really happens within your process you have a chance to identify all of the wasteful steps within your processes giving yourself the opportunity to redesign your processes to remove those wastes (Seven wastes).

You can map any aspect of your business processes from an overall presentation of your whole business or discrete operations within individual departments.

Value Stream Mapping is a specific type of process mapping flowchart which will show the flows of material and information within your organization from supplier to customer. The value stream map will show the length of time that product is within your factory as well as the total processing time so that you can ascertain exactly for what percentage of its time product is being worked on within your organization.

Often the processing time is a mere fraction of a percent when compared to the overall lead time through the factory. Indicating the potential reduction in lead time and work in progress that could be achieved through the application of lean manufacturing.

Business process mapping is similar to value stream mapping in that you are analyzing how value flows through your organization but for specific processes. The aim being to identify the wasteful steps in your process. Once identified you have the opportunity to find ways to either remove these wasteful steps or reduce their impact on your organization.

Conducting a value stream map is actually a very simple process, the main tools that you will need are a pencil, a pad of post-its, and your brain. Sometimes it is worth also timing various aspects of the flow however most people do not like people standing over them with a stop watch!

What you need to do is walk through the entire process from start to finish, observing exactly what actually happens, not what it says in your company procedures. Ask questions at each point of the operation, find out how long delays are, how many items there are in the queue, basically any and all relevant data. The more data you collect the batter an analysis you will be able to make at a later stage.

Each step should be recorded on an individual post-it, along with the relevant data, this can then be organized on a chart in the correct order when it is time to analyze what you are doing.

I once tried to walk the CEO of a company through a particularly bad office process, he was the "approval document" and we walked him through the entire process and explained all of the delays etc. He only made it about a third of the way through the process before he was banging the table and demanding changes be made!

It is possible to buy specific software to do process mapping flowcharts however it is relatively simple to use software that is available to most businesses;

•          VISIO – Select new file and use the ‘Basic Flowchart’ template

•          EXCEL – Show the Drawing toolbar and AutoShapes – Flowchart

•          WORD – Show the Drawing toolbar and AutoShapes – Flowchart

•          POWERPOINT – Show the Drawing toolbar and AutoShapes – Flowchart

Personally however I prefer to do my process mapping flowcharts by hand using the post-it method unless you have to present the data back in a “professional” manner. Post-its are fantastic in that you can move them around easily, change their colours to highlight types of steps and so on.

What you are looking for within your analysis is to identify all of the wasteful steps in the process, look at the seven wastes of lean manufacturing to help you identify what the wasteful steps are.

The types of things that we are looking to eliminate or reduce are waiting time, piles of inventory, delays and so on. You may also find duplicated effort and totally unnecessary work. It is common for departments to require totally unnecessary information and forms from other departments that are never required!

Once you have analyzed your data and identified all of the wasteful steps we need to look at optimizing the process, either through small tweaks to improve flow of material and information or potentially a revolutionary new process.

You can lay out your new process in exactly the same way as you did the current process so that you can measure the new lead time for the process, reduction in workload, work in progress and so on.

It is best to develop the new process as a team effort with those involved in the current process so that they can be part of this process, in this way they are involved in crafting their own processes rather than having them forced upon them!

Process Mapping Flowcharts are great tools to help you visualize your processes and to make process optimization happen. Continuous Process Improvement has to be planned to make it happen, some other quality tools that can you to continually Improve your processes are listed below;

Brainstorming and Mind Mapping, to generate ideas and organize them.

Fishbone Diagram or Ishikawa Diagram to show cause and effect in a simple manner

Statistical Process Control (SPC) Charts, to measure and monitor the process output and parameters.

The 5 Whys, to help drive you to the true root cause of a problem.

PDCA, Plan, Do, Check, Act, a technique to help you plan your improvement activities

Tally charts, for data collection.

Histograms or Bar Charts, to graphically represent your data to make easy visual analysis.

Pareto Analysis, To highlight the vital few causes that impact the many.

The following links will help you with regard to understanding and implementing quality tools and continuous quality and process improvement;

Chartered Quality Institute (CQI) The Chartered Quality Institute

American Society for Quality (ASQ) American society for quality

Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) Lloyds Register Quality Assurance

British Standards Institute British Standards Institute

American Standards Organization American Standards Organization

Quality Institute of America Quality Institute of America

Quality Institute in Healthcare Quality Institute for Healthcare

Institute for Manufacturing (IFM) Institute for Manufacturing

These links will help you with finding out about process mapping, flowcharts and other quality tools for continuous quality improvement.