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Value Stream Mapping: A Powerful Method for Attacking Manufacturing Waste
by Ron Wililams, EnteGreat
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Paper Overview
Attacking waste within the manufacturing environment is one of the most indispensable strategies used by manufacturers to reduce operating costs, increase productivity, and achieve the highest standards for quality and on-time delivery of products. A strong testament to the validity of this approach can be found in the continued success of lean manufacturing principles. The ultimate goal of lean manufacturing is the total elimination of waste, but success is dependent upon a clear and tangible application of the concepts. Theorizing about getting rid of waste is one thing; turning theoretical propositions into reality is something else. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a concrete mechanism that empowers companies to go beyond lean thinking and actually become lean enterprises.
The difficulty of attacking waste is the actual identification and quantification of the specific areas of waste within the manufacturing processes. Waste exists in places that are not readily apparent, and as the technology used in manufacturing evolves, ample opportunities to uncover and reduce waste are freshly created. In the Life Sciences industry, the issue of regulatory compliance provides one of the most dramatic examples of how advances in technology create the potential to reduce waste.
This is a clear case where advances in technology have shifted the focus of waste reduction efforts because a previously efficient process has now become a prime target for reducing waste. Life Sciences companies that have not yet made the transition to Electronic Batch Recording (EBR) have enormous opportunities to reduce compliance costs, and VSM is a methodology that can be used to assist with the transition. In this paper we will explore how VSM works by mapping production practices as they presently exist and comparing the current state with a possible future state.
Paper Outline
- Introduction
- The Role of VSM in Business Strategy and Systems Definition
- The VSM Methodology
- Choose the product or product family.
- Map the current state.
- Identify the lean metrics that will be applied.
- Map the future state.
- Create and implement a plan for improvement.
- Keys to Achieving Success with VSM
- Begin by targeting the areas which have the most waste.
- Transfer lessons learned from one application to others.
- Educate personnel about the process.
- Get people to commit to the process.
- Avoid the most common pitfall: Failing to sustain a high level of commitment.
- Coordinate VSM with other systems solutions initiatives.
- Make VSM part of continuous improvement programs.
- A Summary of the Benefits that VSM Can Bring
- Conclusion
About the Author
Ron Williams, Consultant for EnteGreat, has over 17 years of experience in manufacturing, including work within the Life Sciences (Pharmaceutical and Biotech), Specialty Chemicals, Pulp and Paper, Power, Oil and Gas, Food, Beverage, CPG, Steel, and Automotive industries. Ron's papers, technical sessions and expertise have helped people throughout the industry gain a better understanding in various areas, including manufacturing systems integration within the Manufacturing IT environment, process excellence improvements utilizing the concepts of lean manufacturing, and flexible batch management improvement utilizing industry standard modeling methodology.
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