Topic guide · 38 articles
Value stream mapping and flow
Value stream mapping draws the whole flow of material and information needed to deliver a product, with the cycle times, inventory and lead time at each step, so you can see where waste builds up and where flow stops. The current-state map shows how the process runs today and the future-state map designs how it should run, with continuous flow and pull. These guides cover mapping, pull systems and just-in-time, and the practical levers on lead time, throughput, bottlenecks, line balance and changeovers.
Quick guides: Cycle time vs lead time, worked through, How many operators a line needs, What is lead time, Kanban, Just-in-time manufacturing, Production efficiency, SIPOC diagram, Flowchart, Takt time
Also: Model area 90-day plans, Current state value stream map, Lean books with honest summaries
Picture gallery: SMED examples (16)
From current state to future state
- 1
Map the current state
Material and information flow, with cycle time, inventory and lead time at each step. - 2
See where flow stops
Inventory piles, long waits and the bottleneck. - 3
Design the future state
Continuous flow where possible, pull where it is not. - 4
Work the levers
Lead time, throughput, bottlenecks, line balance and changeovers.
Start here
- 1
What Are the Four Types of Lead Time?
Material, production, customer and cumulative lead time: what each one measures, the formula, an example order, and how they differ from cycle time.
Read the guide - 2
7 Ways to Improve Production Efficiency in Manufacturing
What manufacturing (or production) efficiency is, how it differs from productivity, and 7 ways to raise it, from standard work to the right KPIs.
Read the guide - 3
Batch Production: A Quick Guide for Beginners
Batch production makes goods in set quantities, one group at a time. How it works, its advantages and disadvantages, and batch vs continuous production.
Read the guide
All 38 articles on value stream mapping and flow
What the 38 articles on value stream mapping and flow cover
- Flow, pull and just-in-time16 articles
- Value stream mapping8 articles
- Production efficiency and cost6 articles
- Lead time, throughput and bottlenecks5 articles
- Line balancing and changeover3 articles
Value stream mapping (8)
- Value Stream Mapping: A Beginner's Complete Guide
- Value Stream Mapping: Step-by-Step Implementation Guide
- Current State vs Future State Value Stream Mapping
- VSM Symbols and Icons: Complete Reference Guide
- The Eight VSM Questions for Future State Design
- Common VSM Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Facilitating a VSM Workshop: Planning and Execution Guide
- Action Planning from VSM: Converting Maps to Implementation Projects
Flow, pull and just-in-time (16)
- Pull Systems in Lean Manufacturing: How They Work and Why
- Supermarket Pull Systems in Lean Manufacturing
- Just-in-Time (JIT) Manufacturing: What It Is and How It Works
- Takt Time in JIT: Matching Production to Customer Demand
- One-Piece Flow in JIT: Eliminating Batch and Queue Production
- Cellular Manufacturing in JIT: Benefits and Implementation Guide
- Cell Design for JIT Flow: Step-by-Step Layout Planning
- Heijunka in JIT: Leveling Production for Mixed Models
- SMED in JIT Manufacturing: Single-Minute Exchange of Die
- Pitch in JIT Manufacturing: Timed Production Intervals
- The Four Core Principles of Kanban
- Kanban Card Types: Production, Withdrawal, Signal, Two-Bin and Electronic
- Kanban Pull Systems: Visual Scheduling in Manufacturing
- Mizusumashi: Water Spider Material Delivery for Pull Systems
- Chaku Chaku: A Quick Guide for Beginners
- Batch Production: A Quick Guide for Beginners
Lead time, throughput and bottlenecks (5)
Line balancing and changeover (3)
Production efficiency and cost (6)
- 7 Ways to Improve Production Efficiency in Manufacturing
- How to Improve Shop Floor Productivity
- Top 12 Ways to Reduce Manufacturing Costs
- Loss Prioritization Framework: Attack Highest-Impact Opportunities
- Minimize Causal and Resultant Losses with LeanSuite
- Improve Operational Efficiency in Manufacturing with LeanSuite
Key terms
- Value stream mapping (VSM)
- Lead time
- Pull system
- Supermarket
- Kanban
- One-piece flow
- Heijunka
- Theory of constraints (TOC)
- Takt time
- Cycle time
- Line balancing
- Yamazumi chart
- Single-minute exchange of die (SMED)
- Process flow diagram
- Cycle counting
- Process cycle efficiency (PCE)
- Mizusumashi (water spider)
Where LeanSuite helps
Value Stream Mapping
Turns video of each process step into a current-state value stream map with cycle times, inventory and lead time.
See Value Stream MappingLine Balancing
Drop in a video of your line and get a Yamazumi chart, a takt comparison and rebalancing recommendations.
See Line BalancingSMED
Runs each changeover as a timed checklist, and AI splits a filmed changeover into internal and external tasks.
See SMEDLoss & Cost Management
Shows where your plant loses money, puts a cost on each loss and gives you the tools to remove it.
See Loss & Cost Management
Free calculators
- Takt time calculatorThe pace a line must hit to meet customer demand, from shift time, breaks and daily demand.
- Cycle time calculatorCycle time against takt, units per hour, capacity per shift and the gap to daily demand.
- Line balancing calculatorLine efficiency, balance delay and the minimum number of stations from station times and takt.
- SMED changeover calculatorTime saved by moving changeover steps from internal to external, capacity freed per week and the smaller batch it allows.
- Lead time calculatorManufacturing lead time from WIP and throughput (Little's Law), and the share of it that adds value.
- Throughput time calculatorThroughput time from process, inspection, move and wait time, the share of it that adds value, and units per hour.
- Bottleneck calculatorThe step that limits your line, from each step's cycle time, machines and uptime, with daily capacity and the gap to demand.
- Inventory turnover and days on hand calculatorHow many times stock turns over in a period and how many days of it you hold, from COGS and average inventory.
- Safety stock calculatorSafety stock and reorder point from the service level you want, average demand and lead time, and how much each varies.
Free templates
- Standard work sheet templateTakt time, each element's manual, machine and walk time on a time chart, key points and standard WIP.
- SMED changeover worksheetChangeover steps with times, internal or external, what can move, ideas and before/after totals.
- Kanban card templateSix production and six withdrawal kanban cards to print and cut out, with loop sizing and a card register.
- Spaghetti diagram templateSquared paper to trace every trip, a trip log that turns grid squares into feet, meters and walking time, and a before and after comparison.
- Time study sheetTime each element over 10 cycles and work out the average, lowest repeatable and standard time. Excel does the sums.
- Operator staffing calculatorTakt, work content, the operators a line needs, a check of your station plan and the roster with absence cover, from your own demand and element times.
- Process flow diagram templateA squared sheet to draw the flow with a symbol key, and a step table that counts operations, moves, checks, waits and storage.
- Inventory cycle count sheetA blind count sheet with variance and tolerance, an ABC count schedule and record accuracy, worked out in Excel.
- Receiving logA dock receiving log with quantities, damage, QC holds and putaway, plus a discrepancy report and dock-to-stock time.
- Material shortage logEvery part short with its need date, line impact, ETA and escalation, and counts by reason and supplier.
- Kanban sizing calculatorHow many kanban cards each loop needs, per part, with the change from today's cards and what the loop holds in days.
- Changeover checklist25 checks for every changeover, a record of planned and actual times, and a log of changeover time against target.
- Andon response logEvery andon call with response and fix times, flags against your targets, and counts by type and station.
- Lead time worksheetProduction lead time from the inventory waiting at each step, value-added time and process cycle efficiency, plus an order traced from order to delivery.
- Water spider route plan (mizusumashi)A water spider's fixed route: stops with arrival times, what is delivered and collected, route time against the cycle, cart load and a trip log.
- Bottleneck analysis worksheetEffective capacity per station from cycle time, parallel units, availability and yield, the bottleneck, takt and utilization, a queue cross-check and the five focusing steps.
- Heijunka box planner (production leveling)Weekly demand turned into containers a day, takt, pitch and slots, a leveled sequence of products and the heijunka box, with a check that the changeovers fit.
- Future state value stream map worksheetThe eight future-state questions worked through in order: takt, pitch, flow, supermarkets, the pacemaker and the mix, with an EPEI check and current against future lead time.
- Value stream plan (VSM action plan)The future-state map cut into loops, each with an objective and a measurable goal, and its kaizen bursts turned into owned, dated projects on a 12-month timeline.
- Escalation matrix templateWho is called for each type of issue and after how long, with severity rules, contacts and an escalation log.
- Lean principles assessment templateThe five lean principles as 25 things you can see on one value stream, answered yes, partly or no on a walk, with a score per principle, the next step and a trend over walks.
- Toyota Production System (TPS) house templateThe TPS house for one plant or value stream: roof, two pillars and foundation, with what you do today, the evidence, a status and the next step for each element.
- EPEI and batch size calculatorHow often each part can come round on a shared machine (EPEI) and how big each batch must be, from demand, cycle times and changeovers, now and after SMED.
- Changeover matrix templateA from-to matrix of changeover minutes with the clean each transition needs (allergen, colour, format), and a weekly planner that totals the order and suggests a shorter one.
- Jidoka worksheet (stop at abnormality)For one line or cell, every abnormality that should stop the work: how it is detected, how the work stops, who is called, the immediate fix and the root cause step, plus a log of real stops.
- Chaku-chaku line plannerPlan a load-load cell: time each machine, load and walk, check that every machine is ready when the operator comes back, compare the cell cycle with takt and size the crew.
- Logistics and customer service pillar 90-day model area planThirteen weeks from the current-state map to pull on one model value stream, a KPI board, the day-90 gate and expansion waves.
- Plan for every part (PFEP) templateOne row per part: supplier, pack, container, usage, lead time and locations, with ABC classes, market and line kanban counts and a lineside space check.
- Reorder point and safety stock sheet (many parts)Safety stock, reorder point, order quantity and an order list for up to 500 parts, worked out from each part's own demand and lead time history.
Free training decks
- 8 wastes of lean training presentationValue vs waste, the 8 wastes (TIMWOODS) with examples, muda, mura and muri and a waste walk, in 17 slides.
- SMED training presentationInternal and external setup, the four SMED stages and how to halve a changeover, in 16 slides.
- Kanban training presentationPull instead of push: how a kanban loop works, the card types, the rules and how to size it, in 16 slides.
- Value stream mapping (VSM) training presentationHow to map the current state, read lead time, design the future state with the eight questions and turn it into a plan, in 19 slides.
Free printable posters
- 8 wastes of lean poster (DOWNTIME)DOWNTIME: the eight wastes with a definition and an example each, plus muda, mura and muri.
- Kanban rules posterTaiichi Ohno's six rules of kanban in plain words, for pull systems on the floor.
- Takt time, cycle time and lead time posterThe three clocks on one line: takt from demand, each station's cycle time against it, and the lead time of one part, waiting included.
- Little's Law poster: WIP, throughput and lead timeLead time = WIP ÷ throughput, drawn as a queue of parts, with three worked cases: today, half the WIP, and a faster bottleneck.
- Heijunka production levelling posterThe same week in batches and levelled, and five steps to start levelling production.
- Milk run posterSix rules for a milk run: a fixed route and timetable that delivers what was used and takes the empties.
- FIFO lane rules posterFive rules for a first in, first out lane with a fixed limit between two processes.
- Flow, supermarket or FIFO lane posterHow to link two processes: continuous flow if you can, a supermarket if you can stock every item, otherwise a FIFO lane.
- Value stream map symbols posterTen common value stream map symbols with what each means, so everyone reads the map the same way.
- Bottleneck five focusing steps posterGoldratt's five focusing steps for a bottleneck: identify, exploit, subordinate, raise its capacity, repeat.
FAQ
Questions about value stream mapping and flow
A current-state map documents how the value stream actually runs today, including its waste, inventory build-up and disconnected steps, so you can see where flow stops. A future-state map designs how it should run after specific lean improvements you can make within 6 to 12 months, with continuous flow, pull and less inventory. The first shows what needs fixing; the second sets the target and the roadmap.
In a pull system no process produces anything until the process downstream of it signals that it needs material. Production follows actual consumption instead of a forecast, which removes the overproduction, excess inventory and waiting that push scheduling creates. Pull is one of the core tools of the just-in-time pillar of the Toyota Production System.
Material lead time (getting raw materials procured and delivered), customer lead time (from the customer's order to delivery), production lead time (the time to make the product) and cumulative lead time (the total across the whole process).
A yamazumi chart is a stacked bar chart of the work at each workstation or operator. Each bar is a station, each segment in it is a task, and the segment's height is that task's cycle time. It makes bottlenecks and uneven workloads easy to see, which is where line balancing starts. Yamazumi is Japanese for “to stack up”.
More topics
- Lean manufacturing fundamentals
- Kaizen and continuous improvement
- Root cause analysis and problem solving
- Quality management
- TPM and maintenance
- 5S and visual management
- Standard work, SOPs and training
- Safety management
- Lean leadership and employee engagement
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