#value stream map

Struggling with process delays and inefficiencies? Discover how value stream mapping steps can help you visualize workflows, eliminate waste, and improve delivery speed. This practical guide walks you through creating an effective Value Stream Map—from identifying value to optimizing flow. Perfect for Agile teams, project managers, and business analysts looking to boost productivity and deliver more value to customers.

Value stream mapping in visio A lot of “Value Stream Mapping in Visio” attempts fail for 1 simple reason: The value stream map is treated like a drawing. A drawing cannot be refreshed. A drawing cannot be audited. A drawing cannot produce multiple views without redrawing. The practical fix is straightforward: Make the process a dataset first. Then use Visio as the renderer. With Visio Data Visualizer, the dataset is a tab separated values (TSV) table with a few critical fields: • Process Step ID • Process Step Description • Next Step ID (connectors) • Shape Type • Function (swimlanes) • Phase (optional) Here is the high-leverage move for value stream work: Keep 1 canonical dataset for the real process. Then create a derived “Value Stream Lens” dataset that reuses the same Step IDs and Next Step logic, but reclassifies the lanes and phases. A clean starter lens that works in the real world: Function (swimlanes) = Value classification • Value-Added • Business-Value-Added • Non-Value-Added Phase (columns) = Time mode • Active • Waiting • Rework That creates a 3x3 grid. The clustering pattern tells the story without reading every step. Examples: • Non-Value-Added + Waiting = pure delay • Business-Value-Added + Waiting = bureaucracy and gating • Value-Added + Rework = upstream quality failures • Value-Added + Waiting = the constraint or bottleneck • Business-Value-Added + Active = streamline or automate A practical workflow: 1. Convert the current process map into a strict dataset (Step IDs + Next Step IDs). 2. Import once into Data Visualizer. 3. Copy the dataset into a “Value Stream Lens” version. 4. Reclassify Function and Phase values using the categories above. 5. Re-import and compare the new view. 6. In Excel, count steps per cell, count handoffs, and list rework loops. This works even when the diagram is dense. Clustering is insight. If 70% of steps land in Business-Value-Added + Waiting, leadership does not need a perfect diagram to know the problem. What to do next after the lens is created: • Kill obvious Non-Value-Added steps • Reduce waiting by removing approvals with unclear criteria • Convert Business-Value-Added work into templates and standard work • Fix rework loops by tightening inputs, definitions, and acceptance checks If converting an existing Visio diagram into a Data Visualizer dataset is the bottleneck, a dataset generator removes that friction by producing the import-ready TSV format so the lens work can start immediately. Comment “VSM” if a copy/paste lens dictionary (Value-Added, Business-Value-Added, Non-Value-Added and Active, Waiting, Rework) would help. #ValueStreamMapping #Lean #Visio #DataVisualizer #ProcessImprovement #Operations process improvement, process mapping, operations, business analysis, workflow, visio, swimlane, automation, lean, standard work

#Lean #SixSigma