January 13, 2016 Industry Forum Blog For many years we have been successfully using VSM to help us plan how our businesses will operate in the future. Many of us will have started around 2003, using Learning to See by John Shook and Mike Rother. But is the mapping tool becoming obsolete in the world of virtual and augmented reality? Mapping the information and material flows and understanding how long it takes us to deliver the finished product to the end user has many benefits. It allows us to diagnose our current state and then plays a vital role when we design how we will operate more effectively in the future. Key is ensuring we meet or even exceed customer expectations in a way which ensures we can make a profit and maintain a healthy cash flow. VSM is at its most powerful when used as a strategic tool to support our policy deployment cycle. Aligned to our vision and mission statements, it helps us create a road map of how to achieve the ideal state. We get clear priorities and detail on which improvement tools to use, where and what the desired outcomes are. Under threat? For me a key part of the mapping process is using a cross functional team who go to collect actual facts about how the process really works. And of course the giant roll of paper we put on the wall! So is our “traditional” way of mapping under threat from powerful applications supported by cloud technologies or the real time collaboration across continents made possible by augmented reality (AR)? Will we loose the hands on, collaborative approach that has always worked wonders in reaching consensus on the way forwards? The future I don’t think we should change the practical, cross functional team approach to the mapping method. While in some cases the introduction of VR and AR will enable better collaboration, let’s not throw out the roll of paper just yet. But we should definitely introduce digital technology in another way. We know that used in the right way these technologies help us to eliminate waste and reduce lead times. This happens in both the information and manufacturing flows. So let’s introduce some new icons into our mapping and incorporate the advantages of the emerging technologies into our designs. Traditionally we have used icons like these to depict the ways in which we transfer information; manual (solid line), electronic (lightening flash) and informal or ad-hoc flow (dotted). And we add detail with icons for sheets of paper, computers and telephones.I bet you’re thinking …… “That looks a bit old hat!” Well how about we introduce symbols to show wireless transfer and use of cloud technologies? Could we show smart products in transit along the extended value stream? Will kanban cards become things of the past, to be replaced by symbols for smart products that wirelessly transmit the signal to produce? As our manufacturing environment evolves at an ever increasing pace I think we need now more than ever, the clear vision provided by future state mapping. So, I would love to see some of your future state digital manufacturing maps, with vastly reduced time lines. Or maybe you would like to share your ideas for new icons?
