Value Stream Mapping: A Tool for Waste Reduction

Abstract

This paper showcases the use of the lean manufacturing tool known as Value Stream Mapping (VSM) as a means of identifying and reducing waste in a water bottling factory. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) is a Lean Manufacturing technique for identifying where wastes occur in a manufacturing process. A Current State Value Stream Map (CVSM) was utilized in identifying the sources of waste in the current state of operations of the water bottling plant. On the other hand, a Future State Value Stream Map (FVSM) was used in proposing an improved state of the plant's production processes. The CVSM aided in discovering that manual inspection was one of the sources of waste in the factory which led to waste in the form of over processing. The FVSM displayed a proposed state with an improvement of manufacturing lead time and cycle time of about 42.1 per cent and 22.2 per cent respectively. The proposed state of the water bottling process also required lesser workers, with a reduction of 2 quality inspectors, therefore a drop in the cost of labour was also achieved.