Click here for part one of the article Why Individual Efficiency in the value stream can be a bad thing
To compensate for this – improvement plans should target “Overall Efficiency”. Overall efficiency is the term used to describe a situation which is typified by balanced cycle times and integrated processes. Remember that overall production is controlled by the slowest stage in the production chain – anything producing at a faster rate will result in waste within the system.
Bearing this in mind – when conducting value stream mapping and improvement activities processes should be viewed as a continuous chain and that weak-spots should be elevated in such a way that other dependant processes can operate at their optimum level. During value stream mapping – aim to pinpoint bottlenecks – which act as the brake on the process – in the improvement plan aim to mitigate these.
Following value stream mapping activity consider implementing Kaizen Burst activities in these areas to address the captured issues – Focusing first on these bottlenecks can often have considerable impact on the process overall and can individually generate significant returns.
