Assessing lean thinking using value stream mapping in a manufacturing unit - a case study

This paper aims to assess the lean manufacturing thinking using value stream mapping (VSM) concepts in an electronics manufacturing organisation. Using value stream concepts, both current and future states maps of the organisation's shop floor scenarios have been discussed. The research begins with collection of the process information through which, current value-stream map is generated, which reflects the current scenario of the operations. Considering the problems in the current state of production, a future value-stream map was suggested to bridge the gap and to serve as a guide for future operations. The conducted study through application of VSM resulted in an overall reduction of 16.22% in the processing time, 37.56% reduction in the lead time and 30% reduction in inventory. There was an overall 33.65% addition in the value added ratio, which gained wide acceptance from the management.