Flow and Schedule

Where Do I Start With Value Stream Mapping?

A value stream map shows how material and information move from order to ship, and where the time goes. Most teams stall on the first map because they try to map everything. Pick one product family, walk it, and keep it on one page.

What Is Usually Going On

  • The scope is too wide: the whole plant instead of one product family.
  • The map is drawn in a conference room from the routing, not walked.
  • Times are standards, not what was observed.
  • The future state is a wish list with no owner or date.

How to Fix It

  1. Pick one product familyParts that share most of the same steps and equipment. One family, one map.
  2. Walk it backwardStart at shipping and walk upstream. At each step record cycle time, changeover, uptime, heads and the WIP in front of it.
  3. Draw the information flowHow the floor learns what to build: schedule, MRP, hot list, phone calls.
  4. Add the timelineLead time from WIP and Little's Law, against value-added time. The gap is waiting.
  5. Mark the burstsCircle the biggest queues, the constraint and the longest changeovers.
  6. Draw the future stateTakt, where flow is possible, where to use a supermarket or WIP cap, and the pacemaker. Each change becomes an action with an owner and a date.

Start Free

Guides and web tools on this site. No account needed.

Guide
Value Stream Mapping
Guide
The 8 Wastes of Lean (TIMWOOD + Skills)
Guide
Gemba Walks
Template
Gemba Walk Template
Template
Process Elimination Template
Calculator
WIP and Little's Law Calculator

When It Moves to the Floor

The same work as an offline file you keep: saved scenarios, print and export, no internet needed on the floor.

Common Questions

How long should the first map take?

A walk and a draft for one family can be done in a day. Do not wait for perfect data. Note what you estimated and check it on the next walk.

Do I need software to map?

No. Paper and pencil on the walk are fine. A tool helps when you need the math, the what-if and a clean copy to share.

What do I do with the map?

Pick the two or three changes that hit the biggest delay or the constraint, write them as actions with owners and dates, and review them weekly.

Value stream map or process map?

A process map shows the steps of one process. A value stream map adds material and information flow, WIP and the timeline for a whole product family.