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Savvy business people know that time to market can mean the difference between being one more little fish or the big fish in a pond full of competitors. They also know that the best way to streamline time to market is through lean implementation. Yet, despite this understanding, many still believe that their particular product or process does not lend itself to improvement through lean. They can even list a half a dozen reasons, yet more often than not, the real reason is that they simply don’t know where to start.
Value Stream Mapping for Lean Development: A How-To Guide for Streamlining time to Market shows managers and executives how to narrow their focus in a way that will allow them to efficiently and accurately evaluate their organization’s current product-development processes.
Crafted by Drew Locher, one of the world’s most respected consultants on lean, this work presents a methodology for value stream mapping that is appropriate for any organization, whether it be service or product oriented. Over the past 20 years, Locher has proven just how powerful this process is, having employed it in healthcare, transportation, distribution, education, financial services, and manufacturing environments.
Illustrating his methodology through the case study of the fictional DevelopTek company, Locher shows how managers within an organization can–
• Identify development waste
• Assess its current state and develop a Current State Map
• Apply lean principles to create a Future State Map
• Develop a plan, which will help them realize that desired future
Providing examples taken from actual companies, along with mapping tips, and explanations of essential lean principles, this manual provides organizational leaders with the tools and confidence they need to become effective change agents.
