Value Stream Process Mapping, Lab Report Example

In every organizations one of the primary purposes are to be efficient and effective in their operations in order to get the maximum profit. Companies have gone to great lengths including outsourcing their work to reduce the costs of labor, and more importantly companies have acquired other methods to reduce costs and compete with their competitors. Lean manufacturing has become a major asset as companies have chosen to implement a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) tool to improve on quality and also reduce the costs. The purposes of VSM in the workplaces is that it allows for an analysis and an overall design of the flow of materials and product information. Companies use these tools to eliminate waste, and be able to streamline their work operations, and other important factors. Other useful tools of VSM include, the Five Ss that according to Six Sigma, “focus on creating orderliness.” Within the paper, it will discuss the Five Ss in relation to improving the workplace, and applying visual management in order to organize areas within the home.

The Five Ss are characterized as a simple yet complex process to continue to follow for improvement. The Five Ss are used extensively in the workplace, at home, or other places that are needed for organization. The Five Ss are a tool that is a part of the Value Steam Mapping process that, “provides optimum value to the customer through a complete value creation process with minimum waste in; design, build, sustaining service.” (Value Stream Mapping 3) The Five Simple Principles help specify the value for the company and the customer. The Five S (5S) is seiri, seiton, seiso, seikestsu, and shitsuke, which translate help to describe organizing a work space for effectiveness and efficiency. Primarily the 5S stand for sorting, straighten, systematize, scrub, and standardize (Philips, n.d) Working from home serve as a dual purpose organization where the Five Ss are useful in creating an efficient and effective work place that eliminates the waste and gets the work done in a productive area. The area in the home that needs to be improve is the study. This is the area where studying, and work is conducted. It is overrun with books, papers, and files that need to be organized so that it doesn’t block productivity. When applying the 5S, sorting was the first step. In sorting, “Remove all items from the workplace that are not needed for current production” (Dolcemascolo, n.d). This was done by removing all the unneeded piles of paper, trash, and files out of the study. Straightening up proved to help organize and arrange books and files into file cabinets and bookshelves for easy access. Scrubbing helped to clean up any waste and trash that was left, also the computer and all the hardware that “shines” things up. Systemizing was implementing the first three steps into a weekly routine so that old habits won’t return. More importantly it creates standards to how the area should look, for yourself and others. Last step is sustaining, it helps to keep up with the routine, and continue to improve the study for maximum efficiency. The results of applying the Five Ss to the home study prove to be positive as books and files were readily accessible, the study was clean and tidy, and when others were in the study picked up after themselves. Applying the Five Ss helps to eliminate any distractions, inefficiencies, or weaknesses in the production of during work and studying in the home study. Increasing production by having a clean, organized place to do work, and create ideas.

According to educational studies, “The 5S visual management system is designed to create a visual workplace – a work environment that is self-explaining, self-ordering, and self- improving.” (5S Visual Management) This is used in any area where production is done, more importantly it can be used in and out of the home. Visual Management Application can take place in the home, in areas such as the kithchen, the study, or a home office. In this case this is applied in the kitchen. The kitchen is the area in the home where everybody uses. Things are organized in shelves, cabinets, pantries, etc. Applying the principles of Visual Management Application are to sort all the items which include, eating utensils, food (cans, boxes, containers) into areas that can be labeled and classify for accessibility. Straightening helps to minimize waste while setting everything in its rightful place. Place plates and bowls into the right cabinets, and place non-perishable foods into the right shelves. Scrubbing is also essential in the kitchen as waste creates problems (rodents, bugs, etc.) Systemizing creates a standard routine that keeps things in line and sets examples for others to follow, including adding wall charts, or charts placed on the refrigerator for cleaning routines. Sustaining this would be to create schedules and point out labels and organization of items for easy access. In order to tell if things are out of order just follow the chart, or follow the label where similar items are. This improves the kitchen because it creates a tidy, clean, and organized space where people can readily access food and utensils for eating.

In conclusion the use of Value Steam Mapping is an important factor in many businesses and organization. It has proven to work in and out of the work place in areas such as the home. An element that is used in Value Stream Mapping is the Five Ss which is apart of the Visual Management Application. The Five Ss help to sort, straighten, scrub or clean, systemize to create standards, and sustain so that others can follow the same steps. Applying the Five Ss in the home study proved to provide a better working environment where books and files were readily accessible, and that waste was eliminated because of lack of distractions helped to be more productive. Applying Visual Management Application in the home kitchen proved to be useful as well. As many people travel in and out kitchens and without organization they will become cluttered with trash and waste and misplaced items. Applying the Five Ss and creating charts, schedules, and other visionary aids, helps to improve sustaining a clean kitchen in the home.

References

Dolcemascolo, Darren. (n.d). The components of an effective 5-S program. Reliable Plant. Retrieved from http://www.reliableplant.com/Read/10383/effective-5s-program

Learning Enrichment Activity FiveS Visual Management System. (n.d). Oakland University. Retrieved from http://www.oakland.edu/upload/docs/Pawley/Lean%20Enrichment%20Activities/LEA%20-%205S.pdf

Philips, Will. (n.d).What is Five S. Rex Roundtable for Executives. Retrieved from http://www.rexroundtables.com/showbriefs-fivesprogram.php

Value Stream Mapping. (n.d). Washington University. Retrieved from http://courses.washington.edu/ie337/Value_Stream_Mapping.pdf