Value Stream Mapping: A Continuous Improvement tool for Reduction in Total Lead Time

This research proposes the usage of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) for reduction in total lead time by identifying and minimizing the non-value added activities in a manufacturing process for an electrical company. To be able to meet the customer demand in time without any delays there was a need for implementing lean flow technologies to understand and manage the existing process so as to increase the throughput. The existing situation of the manufacturing process was mapped with the help of VSM technique. The potential areas of improvement were highlighted as Kaizen bursts and proposed to reduce the gap between the existing state and the future state of the process. By developing a future state map which had more efficient processes, this research helped in achieving the main objectives of reduction in the total lead time, work-in-progress and the inventory levels by improving material and information flow