What is a Value Stream Map?

 A Value Stream Map is really the first step in the process improvement plan. It helps us diagram all of the steps involved in the entire process from when the customer contacts us for a product or service, through when they receive the product or service. As we build the Value Steam Map it is important to focus on the current state of the processes. You can start to see how future state ideas start to pop up while conducting this exercise - it's working! After the current state processes are mapped, then we will do another exercise where we will determine what processes need improvement and how to prioritize them.