I am currently a student and a quality supervisor for an automotive company and need to do a Value Stream Mapping for my class. I wanted to see if there was any tools or anything that may be helpful in this assignment?

Please if anyone has anything available I would greatly appreciate it.

:thanks:

I am currently a student and a quality supervisor for an automotive company and need to do a Value Stream Mapping for my class. I wanted to see if there was any tools or anything that may be helpful in this assignment?

Please if anyone has anything available I would greatly appreciate it.

:thanks:

Try a search on these forums. I posted some Visio icons and an Excel spreadsheet here: attachments (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?p=94100#post94100).

iGrafx also has a package I believe for doing process/value stream maps. Do a search on google for iGrafx and you should find what you need.

You really should just do a VSM with pencil and paper though as the electronic formats could be viewed as "waste".

Wayne

I did try the excel spreadsheet but did not know how to use it. I think i will try just pencil and paper. I will try to google iGrafx. I appriciate it.


Thanks

www.lean.org (http://www.lean.org). might be a place to start.

Scroll down to the bottom of this page for links to similar threads.

:cool:
Hi haueyman,
The Excel form posted by wmarhel is like a big white board where I think you can make your Value Stream Map.
Put your zoom at 100 % and them the icons are easy to see right at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
What I am planning to do is to assign a macro to each icon so, I can use them anywhere on the spreadsheet.
Thanks wmarhel very useful posting
:applause:

I am currently a student and a quality supervisor for an automotive company and need to do a Value Stream Mapping for my class. I wanted to see if there was any tools or anything that may be helpful in this assignment?

Please if anyone has anything available I would greatly appreciate it.

:thanks:

I was intrigued with the recent article in Quality Digest Magazine by Bill Ritsch. It was titled "Breaking the Bottleneck" (see link below).

http://www.qualitydigest.com/mar06/articles/04_article.shtml

But then you probably know all this from your class!

Doug

This may be too late for an effective post for your class but I find using brown paper method very effective.

It is what I use when doing a VSM Kaizen event. If you need to give an electronic copy, take a digital picture.

I can post a couple of MSPP slides Monday for examples if you still want them for future reference.

2.5bostons is the least expensive way.

Personally, I use a package called sysems2win.
(It attaches directly to your excell program for easy use, and contains just about every lean tool out there. For my pocket book . . . I would say . . expensive.)

I picked up a free download from Synthis for ther process mapping tool and it has the VSM symbols if you need to make a digital copy, but i agree with the thread that the brown paper method is easier for the "working" sessions. Depending on how formal your organization is, you may need a professional looking display to sell or it might just better serve the point to present the hand written charts.

OOHH I love Kaizens... here are a few slides with an example of value stream maps using ribbon, post its, etc.

I like the bigger than life mapping, after the team has plotted out the map, the affected area workers (assembly line, office team, etc.) are invited in for a short review of the team's present state mapping - it is a short meeting to elicit thier feedback to the team's perception.

It is surprising what you learn during that short mtg. I find it keeps the Kaizen team on task, eases the affected area workers (and later helps with buyin) and prevents mispent high priority time.

Hope this helps:)