Value Stream Mapping

Hussain Aleithan
ETM 365
A Pandian
04-01-2015

Value Stream Mapping

Value Stream Mapping denotes a lean or quality management instrument that aids in
setting up the present state of a practice, while helping to expose chances for improvement.
Simply, this refers to the 7 source of waste. Lean principles came up with aims of minimizing
waste, reducing inventory and working costs, and enhancing product value. In addition, the
principle increases productivity and ensures pleasure the job place. Notably, Lean was
established at the Japaneses Toyota Motors Company, about 500 years ago. Over time, the
principle has extended into many institutions worldwide irrespective of their main businesses.
The approach can be used in various fields such as hospital emergency units and sections. The
paper seeks to analyze the application and summarize the lean topic demonstrating its
understanding.
The lean principles include many approaches and activities. In essence, lean approach
aims to pinpoint the element that generates value to consumers (Preetinder 51). In addition, the
approach develops a value stream for every product or development process by recognizing
waste. Combination of various objectives ensures a steady flow of products by regulating the
processes.
Preetinder (2012) explains that the VSM principle, which has been conventionally
applied in manufacturing setting, could be used to prove settings. These include planning and
administrative procedures. Preetinder (2012) asserts that despite intrinsic problems in executing
lean values, they can assist to deliver in various areas such as monitoring patients healthcare and
establishing success in manufacturing and service industries (Preetinder 52).

Preetinder (2012) propose that value stream include all events that are value and nonvalue added. The events cover the concepts from manufacture and beyond that are necessary in
taking a product or amenities to consumers. They further explain that value stream mapping
involves following the generation path of an experimental piece, in order to depict a visual
demonstration of every concerned process. These include coverage of material and data flow.
Values stream mapping can assist to pinpoint issues related with seven forms of waste
(Preetinder 58) in the continuity of worth. Moreover, value stream mapping aids in establishing
efficient resolutions to reduce the non-value added phases thereby developing a lean scheme.
A real-life example considers the United States healthcare system. According to the
Boston Globe (2008), the U.S health care wasted an estimated $770 billion annually. The waste
was among other issues attributed to exploitation, overuse, and underuse of amenities and
apparatus. Some other causes of this huge wastage include errors, lack of contact and
harmonization, and other particular cause deviation. These wastes align with the 7 wastes
explained by Pascal (2007).
Emergency rooms and units are essential to contemporary healthcare system. Emergency
room in a hospital refers to an area staffed and fitted for the reception and handling of patients
with situations requiring instant medical attention (Preetinder 54). Similar to the whole
healthcare system, the emergency rooms are widespread with waste. Therefore, lean
methodologies can be effectively executed to deal with wastes connected with emergency room
such as ferrying, over-processing drag and movement. Following the previous discussion, it can
be stated that lean approach including VSM can be employed to methodically and systemically
eradicate these wasteful sources in the health care.

Koelling et al. (2005) explains clearly the procedure of carrying out a VSM in an
emergency unit. They supply a hypothetical and technical foundation of the VSM procedure,
which emphasis on various issues. First, it is vital to identify the target system to be enhanced.
Second, there follows construction of present and prospectus state VSMs, by employing typical
set of images, signs and arrows. The researchers construct a procedure flow chart to
appropriately cover the range of VSM-related activities (Preetinder 55). The flow chart is
complemented with a brief account of what takes place at each station. The researchers clarify
the technique to compute sequence time, change in time, and register time. Researchers
recognize that problems in the health care sector might be dissimilar to manufacturing. However,
they state that there is high possibility of effectively saving on VSM in the emergency room
environment.
Concisely, it is clear that VSM can be used effectively in an emergency room
environment despite some challenges. The hindrances could be separated into inherent and
extrinsic factors. The internal factors mainly affect the facilitators of the programs in the health
care system. VSM facilitators must have thorough knowledge of the principles, signs and lean
viewpoint. The adaptability augments with skills and expansion of perspective. More
significantly, team players should widely understand the emergency room procedures being
assessed.
On the other hand, extrinsic factors cover all the staff working in the facility. The
management team should make sure that the VSM workgroup encompass employees who are
contiguous to the challenge. In an emergency unit, it could include doctors, care-takers, Paramedics and other employees such as security members. In addition, the administration should

authorize the workers with power and accountability to make the required transformations in an
appropriate manner.
Conclusion
VSM could demonstrate to be a priceless tool in eradicating wastage from an emergency
room. Nevertheless, healthcare providers and their supporters should ensure that the VSM should
be utilized to discover waste, sketch waste decrease, and revaluate the degree of waste in the
enhanced process.

Work Cited
Singh Gill, Preetinder. Application of value stream mapping to eliminate waste in an
emergency room. Global Journal of Medical Research 12.6 (2012)