Business Analyst: What is a value stream map?

Value stream map — visualizes flow of materials and information.

Purpose:

• Identify waste.
• Improve flow.
• Reduce lead time.

Elements:

• Process steps.
• Information flow.
• Material flow.
• Time (value-add vs non-value-add).

Example:

Benefits:

• Visualizes entire process.
• Identifies bottlenecks.
• Quantifies waste.
• Drives improvement.