Category: Value Stream Mapping
A Comprehensive Guide to Input-Process-Output Models
Published:Creating and mapping business process models can sound like a daunting task with little tangible value. With input-process-output models, we debunk these myths and introduce a versatile, straightforward methodology that can be used to transform your business.
Read more ยปHow Lean and Six Sigma Dramatically Improved InterConnect’s Kit Manufacturing Line
Updated:InterConnect Wiring was constantly needing to be ahead of schedule in assembling its aircraft kits, causing unneeded stress and an unbalanced workload. By utilizing Lean and Six Sigma concepts, the organization was able to make significant improvements to its processes. Despite already being a very successful organization, InterConnect Wiring was able to utilize Lean and […]
Read more ยปHow Lean Six Sigma Helped Grupo Bimbo Stay Relevant and Retain Global Market Share
Updated:Established in 1945 in Mexico City, Grupo Bimbo became a global leader in the baking industry, known for its commitment to quality and innovation. As the company expanded its operations worldwide, it encountered various challenges that threatened its profitability and market position. In response, Grupo Bimbo made a strategic decision to implement Lean Six Sigma […]
Read more ยปHow Value Stream Mapping Helped Increase a Universityโs MBA Enrollment by 70%
Updated:The University of North Alabama had been part of the steady decline nationally in students enrolling in MBA programs. In order to turn the tide at the UNA College of Business, a team utilized Value Stream Mapping. By focusing on adding value to the student recruiting process, UNA College of Business was able to dramatically […]
Read more ยปKienle + Spiess Tackles Welding Issues with Lean and Six Sigma Integration
Updated:Kienle + Spiess is a German mechanical engineering company that was looking to strengthen its welding division by reducing its rework and improving its quality. To accomplish this, the organization utilized a dual approach where Six Sigma and Lean methods work in tandem. Kienle + Spiess was able to practically eliminate shoddy splatter from the […]
Read more ยปHow One Company’s Investment in Employees Led to $40K in Savings
Updated:In business, when times get tough, the knee-jerk reaction is to have layoffs. What follows is a remarkable example of one company that decided to make a further investment in its people by getting them trained toward Six Sigma Green Belt certification and having them put their focus on saving money for the organization. Even […]
Read more ยปHow Six Sigma and the DMAIC Process Made Samsung Into an Industry Leader
Updated:With strategic implementation, Six Sigma can do wonders for an organization. The methodology can drastically improve processes, cut down on waste, and even help provide better results in the design and R&D of new products. Samsung found that it was having issues with all of the above and, in 1999, conducted a complete […]
Read more ยปFollowing the Road to Improvement
Published:As a recently promoted Vice President, Chuck needed to quickly understand what all his people were doing. Chuck, a longtime employee of a major utility company, had been recently promoted to Vice President to take over the leadership of a wide range of different functions than what he had been managing. As a result of […]
Read more ยปThe Cost of Customer Misalignment (& How to Fix It)
Published:This consumer products company has a large portfolio of products. Working with key customers, the company develops and promotes brand marketing programs to help the customer improve their sales which increases the companyโs revenue as well. The CEO of the company realized the percentage of successful promotions was less than he expected. At the same […]
Read more ยปTips for Efficient Process Mapping
Updated:A process map is a hierarchical method for displaying processes that illustrates how a product or transaction is processed. It is a visual representation of the workflow either within a process — or an image of the whole operation. Process mapping comprises a stream of activities that transforms a well-defined input or set of inputs into a pre-defined set of outputs.
Read more ยปSimplifying Complex Systems with Value Stream Mapping
Updated:Gain a better understanding of value stream mapping and how you can use it in your business. We’ll cover the flow, department interactions, bottleneck identification, and key metrics — as well as a few best practices.
Read more ยปResource Page: Value Stream Mapping
Published:During the month of August โ while many are taking time off to enjoy summer โ we will be offering a resource page on a particular topic. The resource page features an overview of the weekโs topic and links to the best related content across iSixSigma (articles, blogs, discussions, Marketplace products and dictionary entries). This […]
Read more ยปCase Study: Improving Value for Clients and Employees
Published:On her drive into work, Melissa Garcia was listening to Beethovenโs Piano Sonata No. 14 in C Sharp Minor and sipping on the mocha java blend sheโd brewed in her kitchen just minutes before. It was a brisk fall Thursday morning, and Melissa was headed into the office where she was three weeks into her […]
Read more ยปOrganizational Process Flow: A River of Possibilities
Published:Fifteen years ago, a student of mine introduced me to the Toyota Way. As a participant in a project management program and then in a Six Sigma course, this young man (who happened to be across the world from me in Japan) began posting assignments using methodologies from his employer, Toyota. Later, that student became […]
Read more ยปValue Stream Map Without All the Data Still Offers Gains
Published:A complete value stream map (VSM) is like a flowchart on steroids. There is the usual action boxes with arrows showing the flow of work, but a lot of other information, too – material and information flow, operating parameters, process and lead times, inventory, a timeline depicting value-added time relative to overall lead time, and […]
Read more ยปValue Stream Mapping on a Budget (Using a Spreadsheet)
Published:Value stream analysis is one of the easiest methods to analyze a process and identify areas that can be improved. Even someone inexperienced can find the low hanging fruit. But what do you do when you want to conduct a value stream analysis and the boss tells you that he is not going to buy […]
Read more ยปThe 5 Whys: A Simple Tool in Value Stream Analysis
Published:Not so long ago in an organization not so far away, a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt not much different from many other Black Belts was running a value stream analysis. Creating the current state map was relatively easy since the participants understood their function and the way that information and inventory flowed along the […]
Read more ยปValue Stream Mapping Definition
Published:Value stream mapping is a lean manufacturing or lean enterprise technique used to document, analyze and improve the flow of information or materials required to produce a product or service for a customer. Full definition.
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