Leveraging Digital Mixed Model Value Stream Maps: A Leadership Guide to Deploying These Maps to Remove Waste

This guide serves as a roadmap for integrating digital value stream mapping (eVSM) into your Lean deployment to improve production processes. Lean, with its mapping component, value stream mapping (VSM), has endured as a process improvement methodology for more than 25 years. VSM is a metrics-based analytical mapping method with simple calculations for Lean metrics such as Takt Time, VA, NVA, Capacity, OEE, etc., however:

• The calculations and charting associated with value stream maps can be tedious
• It’s hard to keep updating the calculations for ＂what-if＂ studies
• Manual calculations can be prone to error.

Digital VSM was introduced as a complement to the initial paper-and-pencil map. The eVSM software has been used to create Digital VSMs for many years, but it has also encountered a couple of hurdles:

• Lean application has expanded and is applied to increasingly complex value streams
• Product variants (mixed models) have proliferated so that many variants are now made with shared resources

Creating and analyzing mixed model value stream maps with only paper and pencil, however, is practically unfeasible. The eVSM program has been revamped for the mixed model production setting and is now accessible as eVSM Mix for creating and analyzing Digital Mix VSMs. The eVSM Mix software reintroduces VSM as a fundamental tool for lean practitioners working in mixed-model situations. This guide illustrates Digital Mix VSMs created with the eVSM Mix software, shows how to use them analytically for ＂what-if＂ studies, and highlights best practices for deployment.

With over ten years of experience in the eVSM group, Girish Hidaduggi has played a crucial role in the evolution of Mix Technology. He manages our India operations, oversees product testing, creates content for e-learning, and conducts research to integrate environmental factors into value streams. Additionally, Girish founded the Sudharma Lean Lab to foster lean thinking in academia and leads our eVSM Academics division. His efforts are also focused on building a talent pool, aimed at supporting both industries and academic institutions. This initiative underscores his commitment to bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, enhancing our business growth, and enriching educational content in the field.

Jon Fournier got his bachelor’s in industrial engineering from Western New England College, and then spent 8 years at the CT Center for Advanced Technology, researching simulation interoperability and automation.

He has been with the eVSM group for the last 12 years and heads up development. He has innovated the development of digital mixed model value stream maps so a single master map can simply be used in mixed model environments. A significant achievement helping thousands of lean practitioners who work on these types of value streams. He has created an eLearning framework that allows the authoring of interactive lessons and enables practitioners to learn by doing. He has separated a value stream engine from the end value stream type so that specific types can be easily developed and authored with unique variables, equations, and analytics.

Herman Ranpuria is the Co-founder and Vice President of Operations of the eVSM Group. He is the primary author of complete eLearning materials in support of Digital value stream mapping for engineering, process, and service industries. He is a value stream coach for enterprise lean deployments. University of Nottingham graduate in mechanical engineering. 8 plus years of aerodynamics engineering at Rolls-Royce, along with more than 20 years of lean methods application experience.

Dilesh Patel is the co-founder and CEO of the eVSM Group. Dilesh is an expert in the leverage of digital tools in lean deployments. Keynote speaker. Dedicated to improving value stream mapping methodology, software, and services to serve a large and growing user community (20,000+) of lean practitioners and improvement teams. Value stream coach for enterprise lean deployments. Winner of the Siemens prize for innovation in process improvement. 20 years of experience at Siemens in engineering consulting, software development, and product management roles before founding the eVSM Group. Engineering degrees from M.I.T & Southampton.