Value Stream Maps (VSM) are a powerful tool used in lean manufacturing and other business processes to visualize and analyze the flow of materials and information required to bring a product or ...

Value stream map vs. process map, which is better for you? As with many tools and methods in Six Sigma, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to mapping things out. Both of these tools have ...

Plant size: 52,000 square feet Location: Jacksonville, Fla. Start-up date: 1982; acquired by Medtronic Inc. in 1999. Special Achievements Total production leadtime, including the leadtime of suppliers ...

Waste is any effort or processes, whether in production, administration or logistics, that's unnecessary. It makes a company hemorrhage cash. In lean manufacturing, multiple value steams are unified ...

Value stream management has been around for a long time. It got its roots in manufacturing, where it was used to accomplish an impossible task; it simultaneously improved quality, reduced costs and ...

Value stream management involves people in the organization to examine workflows and other processes to ensure they are deriving the maximum value from their efforts while eliminating waste — of ...

Ernie Smith is a former contributor to BizTech, an old-school blogger who specializes in side projects, and a tech history nut who researches vintage operating systems for fun. Many discussions around ...