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Toxic Chemicals
Value stream mapping (VSM) is used during the implementation phase of the
kaizen process. VSM is a lean process-mapping method for understanding the
sequence of activities and information flows used to produce a product or deliver a
service. It involves site visits to the facility and interviews of facility personnel. Lean
practitioners use VSM to
• Identify major sources of non-value-added time in a value stream
• Envision a less-wasteful future state
• Develop an implementation plan for future lean activities
Lean and the Environment work at the cabinet manufacturing facility included
a week-long VSM workshop and three week-long kaizen events. Operations in the
facility were broken down into two separate processes, with a team assigned to each
process. All events were conducted between May and August 2006. During VSM
and kaizen events, WMS facilitated the events and conducted overall project management for the site. Ecology staff was on site for every day of the lean events, and
a minimum of one ecology person participated on each team at all times. The team
leaders and the rest of the team participants were facility staff.
The VSM workshop at the cabinet manufacturing facility was conducted over
5 days and included four components: (1) training, (2) analysis and mapping of the
“current state” of the finishing department and the production line, (3) development of “future state” value stream maps and associated implementation plans, and
(4) report-out presentations from both teams and a debrief meeting. The workshop
was extended by 2 days (VSM workshops are generally 3 days) to support additional
process mapping and analysis of environmental wastes and costs. About 30 facility
staff attended the training. Systems at the facility were broken into two specific
processes, with a team for each. Eight or nine facility staff participated in each of the
two teams during the rest of the week.
The kaizen events occurred over three separate weeks, with several weeks in
between each kaizen. The first kaizen began with a day of training on lean methods
useful for kaizen events. From that point, teams brainstormed, planned, and prioritized on actionable items for each week and accomplished the changes using a set of
lean and environmental tools. At the end of the project, the cabinet manufacturing
facility had implemented many of the identified changes and planned to implement
more in the future.
It is assumed that the other two facilities will have similar timelines and participation requirements.
ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS
This program is a collaborative effort. It is a voluntary program that exists because
of the potential benefit that it will provide to the state and to private facilities. It has
developed through a partnership among the EPA, the Washington Department of
the Environment, and WMS. There is a steering group consisting of Ecology and
WMS staff, and an advisory/support group consisting of EPA staff. Each project has
a project manager and a project supervisor.
Toxic Chemicals
Value stream mapping (VSM) is used during the implementation phase of the
kaizen process. VSM is a lean process-mapping method for understanding the
sequence of activities and information flows used to produce a product or deliver a
service. It involves site visits to the facility and interviews of facility personnel. Lean
practitioners use VSM to
• Identify major sources of non-value-added time in a value stream
• Envision a less-wasteful future state
• Develop an implementation plan for future lean activities
Lean and the Environment work at the cabinet manufacturing facility included
a week-long VSM workshop and three week-long kaizen events. Operations in the
facility were broken down into two separate processes, with a team assigned to each
process. All events were conducted between May and August 2006. During VSM
and kaizen events, WMS facilitated the events and conducted overall project management for the site. Ecology staff was on site for every day of the lean events, and
a minimum of one ecology person participated on each team at all times. The team
leaders and the rest of the team participants were facility staff.
The VSM workshop at the cabinet manufacturing facility was conducted over
5 days and included four components: (1) training, (2) analysis and mapping of the
“current state” of the finishing department and the production line, (3) development of “future state” value stream maps and associated implementation plans, and
(4) report-out presentations from both teams and a debrief meeting. The workshop
was extended by 2 days (VSM workshops are generally 3 days) to support additional
process mapping and analysis of environmental wastes and costs. About 30 facility
staff attended the training. Systems at the facility were broken into two specific
processes, with a team for each. Eight or nine facility staff participated in each of the
two teams during the rest of the week.
The kaizen events occurred over three separate weeks, with several weeks in
between each kaizen. The first kaizen began with a day of training on lean methods
useful for kaizen events. From that point, teams brainstormed, planned, and prioritized on actionable items for each week and accomplished the changes using a set of
lean and environmental tools. At the end of the project, the cabinet manufacturing
facility had implemented many of the identified changes and planned to implement
more in the future.
It is assumed that the other two facilities will have similar timelines and participation requirements.
ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS
This program is a collaborative effort. It is a voluntary program that exists because
of the potential benefit that it will provide to the state and to private facilities. It has
developed through a partnership among the EPA, the Washington Department of
the Environment, and WMS. There is a steering group consisting of Ecology and
WMS staff, and an advisory/support group consisting of EPA staff. Each project has
a project manager and a project supervisor.