Process Mapping The Key To Continuous Improvement Bob Wallner, CPIM Lean Leader New Hampshire Ball Bearing HiTech Division
Process Mapping The Key To Continuous Improvement
Bob Wallner, CPIMLean Leader
New Hampshire Ball Bearing HiTech
Division
My Background With Continuous Improvement Mapping
• Majority of my experience is Supply Chain responsibility
• 1999 was on management team to move to ISO9000:2000
• 2001 – 1st Lean exposure was seminar while working for a company that embraced Industrial
Manufacturing • 2003 – Began my lean journey by participating 1st
Kaizen as a “Champion”• 2003 –
Today work to incorporate process
thinking into my everyday job
Team EinsteinTeam Vern
– Technically Minded?
– Engineer Solutions?– Who can visualize the
difference between .001”
& .0001”
– Less Technically Minded?
– Have ideas but need someone else to
engineer them?
– Need to see to situation to fully
understand?
Both teams are part of your company!Both teams need to understand the problems
facing your company!
Communication begets Kaizen
Technical and non‐technical people, have to communicate in a common language for
kaizen to occur.
PROCESS MAPS CAN HELP BRIDGE THIS GAP!
My definition of Process Mapping
• Process mapping is a – simple & visual tool;
– used to understand & communicate
– the flow of work & information across an observed work flow.
Where do we start?
Process Mapping Steps
1.
Identify Who, What, Why, When & Where
When beginning we need to know
• Who are we trying to communicate to?– Know your audience/team
• What are we trying to communicate?– Collect only data required– What are expectations for this map
• Why are we trying to communicate it?– Understand your problem statement (Use A3)– Understand how your process map will help you
• When is this map good for?– On going process or one time change?– Is it current state or future state?
• Where is this taking place– Set boundaries (Scope)
Process Mapping Steps
1.
Identify Who, What, Why, When & Where
2.
Create your legend
Create a legend of icons you will use
Critical Icons• Process Steps – Work Being Done• Decision Tree – Branches for either/or decisions• Connectors/Work Flow – What processes are linked and
what direction do they flow
Optional Icons• Documents – What documents, reports or metrics are
used or needed• Outside/Sub Processes –
Processes
that are outside of
scope of map but need reference• Data – Time, Pieces, Steps, Failures, Cost, etc• Swim lanes – divide work by logical grouping or output• Any other info that is valuable to your problem statement
Process Mapping Steps
1.
Identify Who, What, Why, When & Where
2.
Create your legend
3.
Find your starting point and “Just Do It”1.
Create your map
Just Do It
Create the map 2 step process
1.
If possible ‐
map the process without walking it.1.
Use group to explain the process
2.
Use standard procedures, routers, etc to map what is “supposed to happen”
2.
Walk the map/process1.
Were steps missed or added? Why?
2.
Were the steps out of sequence? Was standardized work in‐place?
3.
Make observations & Collect data
Process Mapping Steps
1.
Identify Who, What, Why, When & Where
2.
Create your legend
3.
Find your starting point and “Just Do It”1.
Create your map
4.
Regroup with team and review findings1.
Calibrate your team
2.
Correct Map OR Correct Process
Process Mapping Steps
1.
Identify Who, What, Why, When & Where
2.
Create your legend
3.
Find your starting point and “Just Do It”1.
Create your map
4.
Regroup with team and review findings1.
Calibrate your team
2.
Correct Map OR Correct Process
5.
Use for improvement
PB&J
Sandwiches Current State
Improvement Ideas
• From here the map can be used for many things.
– Productivity Improvement(Theory of Constraints)
Throughput Issues
1 lot of
inventory
Running 1
8hr shiftIn all lines
Productivity Improvement Theory of Constraints
Methodology
TOC Improvement Premise
Focus all efforts on exploiting the bottleneck and restructuring all other processes around
the bottleneck.
• Looking for bottlenecks and improvement opportunities to improve throughput
• Where is the inventory stacking up
Throughput Issues
1 lot of
inventory
Running 1
8hr shiftIn all lines
Improvement Ideas
• From here the map can be used for many things.
– Productivity Improvement(Theory of Constraints)
– Waste Elimination
(Lean)
Lead Time Issues
5 Min 3 Min 1 Min 60 Min
5 Min
5 Min
5 Min
2 Sec 7 Sec 2 Sec 1 Min60 Min
2 Sec 5 Sec 3 Sec 60 Min
75 Min
45 Min
5 Min
10 Min
7 Sec 1 Min
1 Min 4 Sec 6 Sec 2 Sec 1 Sec
12 Min5 Sec1 Sec12 hr 1 Min5 Sec
2 Sec
Lead Time Improvement Lean Methodology
Lean Improvement Premise
Minimize the timeline between when we get an order from the customer to the time we get
paid by removing non‐value added activities.
• Identify the Value and Non‐Value activities• Eliminate “TIM WOODS”
Wastes (“Muda”) Definition
Transportation Movement of product that does not add value
Inventory More materials, parts, or products on hand than the customer needs right now
Motion Movement of people that do not add value or may cause injury
Waiting Idle time created when material, information, people, or equipment is not ready
Over Processing Effort that adds no value from the customer’s viewpoint
Over Production Producing more than the customer needs right now
Defects Work that contains errors, rework, mistakes or lacks something necessary
Skills Not utilizing the skills and creativity of your workforce
Lead Time Issues
5 Min 3 Min 1 Min 60 Min
5 Min
5 Min
5 Min
2 Sec 7 Sec 2 Sec 1 Min60 Min
2 Sec 5 Sec 3 Sec 60 Min
75 Min
45 Min
5 Min
10 Min
7 Sec 1 Min
1 Min 4 Sec 6 Sec 2 Sec 1 Sec
12 Min5 Sec1 Sec12 hr 1 Min5 Sec
2 SecWait
Wait
Wait
Wait
Wait
Wait
Wait
Proces
sing
Proces
sing
Proces
sing
Proces
sing
Transp
ort
Transp
ort
Transp
ort
Transp
ort
Transp
ort
Defect
16 Hrs 51 Min Non Value Added
Time5 Min 14 Sec
Value Added Time
Improvement Ideas
• From here the map can be used for many things.
– Productivity Improvement(Theory of Constraints)
– Waste Elimination
(Lean)
– Quality Improvements (Six Sigma)
Defects – Torn Bread
Non Conformance
found
Yield Improvement Six Sigma
Methodology
Six Sigma Improvement PremiseUse tools & methodologies to improve the
quality of process outputs by removing errors and minimizing process variability.
• Looking for opportunities to improve the quality yield
• Data layered on our process map can guide us to where is the defect occurring
Defects – Torn Bread
Non Conformance
found
Other than Continuous Improvement What are some other uses for Process Maps?
Troubleshooting Guides
Spaghetti Diagrams
Work Instruction
Internal Quality Audits
Value Stream Maps
Troubleshooting Guide
Spaghetti Diagrams
Work Instructions & Audits
Value Stream Maps
So why is the “Lean Guy”
waiting to talk about Value Stream Maps until the end?
The Value Stream Map
75 miles @ 65mph = 1hr 9min
Process Option 1
100 miles estimated time 1hr 59min
Process Option 2
82.8 miles Estimated Time 2hr 25min
Common questions & pitfalls
Common questions & pitfalls• You don’t need fancy software• Stay focused on the problem statement
– Use A3 whenever possible.• Remember the map is only the tool – it is not
the end product
• It’s ok to be creative as long as you are consistant
Thank you
Bob Wallner, CPIM
&
Open Networker look for me on