Leaderboard

Value Stream Map (VSM) is a powerful approach to identify inefficiencies in a process. It involves mapping out the entire current state process flow including the flow of materials and information, gathering process times, lead times and relevant metrics which helps visualizing the current workflow and data provides quantitative basis to identify the inefficiencies. Within current process flow, we can identify Value-added activities, the wastes (seven types of wastes - Inventory, motion, defects, transport, waiting and overproduction) and Non-value added activities which are often the root causes of inefficiencies. VSM is a team exercise involving the team members, subject matter experts and other key stakeholders. VSM can be used to answer the following questions: 1. What is the flow of material and information?, 2. Where are the linkages between the information and material flows? 3. Where are the sources of waste? 4. What should our flow look like? (when desired process flow mapped). 5. Where should our improvement efforts be focused? Once the current flow is mapped and waste is identified, A future state process is mapped basis of lean improvement implementation plan which is defined in alignment with organizational strategic goals that the optimized process should achieve. These goals could include reducing lead times, improving quality, increasing customer satisfaction, or reducing costs. For example: In my current organization (Pharma company) which Transfers the Value (ToVs) to Health care professionals (HCPs) for the service the HCPs provides, required to be disclosed to government regulation. Based on the country the regulation requirement can be different and the disclosure document should meet the requirements. The process involves the Data collection of ToVs (payments) made to HCPs from various countries where the company operates, and HCP services were taken. Followed by data validation and data submission with disclosure to regulation department. A Value Stream Mapping was conducted and identified the process times, lead time, value-added and non-value added process steps where majority of process is conducted in manually method. The VSM helped us to identify the inefficiencies in the process and also the opportunities for Automation. Based on solution brainstorming and aligning with team strategic goal to optimize this process, an improvement opportunity was proposed using RPA automation and implementation plan was developed.