In this module, you will learn how to assess the current state of your organization’s operational processes, from “door-to-door.” Many organizations can find looking at their processes to be challenging. After a while, they start to feel like old office furniture: everyone takes it for granted and they’re comfortable with how it looks. But don’t fall into the trap of accepting things because that's the way they’ve always been! Over time, old processes start to become inefficient and gradually less fit for purpose, hurting your organization’s competitiveness. 

This is why you want to spend plenty of time trying to figure out your current process to make high-level process improvements, eliminate waste and create the “leanest” path from beginning to end.  This is where Value Stream Mapping comes in. 

Value Stream Mapping – or VSM for short - is a method to document business processes that allows project managers and analysts to analyse various states and narrow down areas for improvement. Using Excel and PowerPoint, this module will show you how to create value stream maps, beginning with a simple introduction to the icons that are used in them, and the various production systems, factory layouts and flow processes that they represent. Moving on, you will calculate measures for various sub-processes, such as process time, cycle time, process utilization, and information flow time, and visualize the results using PowerPoint and other tools. Through this, you will gain a basic understanding of value stream maps and learn how to create them. This will enable you to focus on improving quality, eliminating waste and increasing productivity in your own textile or garment enterprise.