Polyhedrika

  Value Stream Maps graphically represent process flow as it is actually performed. Excel Value Stream Map - YouTube VSM is typically built following a visit to Gemba (where things are really happening) in order to depict what is really going on (rather than the theoretical process described in standards and procedures). This approach and VSM concepts are excellently described in " Learning to See " by Mike Rother To follow the value stream you can follow a product along the manufacturing line or a customer order along the administrative value stream like in    staple yourself to an order Horizontal Vs Vertical Flow Value Stream Maps are typically designed to flow horizontally left to right. When a value stream is complex it becomes difficult to view the whole picture: it may require several pages and this makes it difficult to follow.. Making the VSM vertically allows us to visualize complex value stream in a single page.   Post-its on Brown Paper Another common practice is

The Obeya room is a "war room" used by process improvement teams to meet and solve critical multi functional problems.  The room walls are lined up with boards, highly visual charts and graphs showing program timing, milestones and progress to date and countermeasures to existing timing or technical problems.  The team meets in this room regularly but team members can also visit the room, which is fully dedicated to the project, throughout the day. Obeya Room Benefits Remove organizational barriers Visual management by displaying all relevant data required in the improvement project Encourage a collaborative environment through regular meetings Implement quicker, more effective solutions The whole team knows what is going on in real time Some Practical Constraints in the Implementation Some companies can't afford the luxury of a fully dedicated room Some of the team members may be located far away so they will only attend the meetings The data displayed on the walls may,