{"id":33032,"date":"2026-07-17T11:14:02","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bpi-group.com.ua\/uncategorized\/value-stream-mapping-mapping-the-value-creation-process\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T11:22:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T08:22:16","slug":"vsm-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bpi-group.com.ua\/en\/blog\/vsm-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"Value Stream Mapping: Mapping the Value Creation Process"},"content":{"rendered":"

Value Stream Mapping<\/strong> (VSM) is a lean manufacturing tool that illustrates a product\u2019s entire journey from supplier to customer on a single map. It shows not only operations but also inventory, queues, time, and the flow of information\u2014that is, where value is actually created and where waste is hidden.<\/p>\n

The main idea behind this method is to look at production from the consumer\u2019s perspective. This page brings together everything you need to know about VSM: how a value stream map differs from a process map, what it shows, how to create one, and what to do with the results. You\u2019ll also find practical resources and training on value stream mapping<\/a> here.<\/p>\n

What Is Value Stream Mapping?<\/h2>\n

From the perspective of lean manufacturing, a company\u2019s operations should be viewed not as a collection of departments or individual production steps, but as a continuous flow of value creation for the customer. A value stream map is a \u201csnapshot\u201d of this flow: it simultaneously describes the material flow (how raw materials are transformed into finished products) and the information flow (how orders and signals move through production).<\/p>\n

Value, in this context, is always viewed from the customer\u2019s perspective: the only thing that has value is what the customer is willing to pay for; everything else is a candidate for elimination. This \u201coutside\u201d perspective allows us to see processes differently than they are typically perceived from within the company\u2014through the lens of functions and technologies. This perspective often reveals losses that everyone has grown accustomed to and has stopped noticing.<\/p>\n

Process Map or Flowchart: What’s the Difference?<\/h2>\n

These two concepts are often confused, even though they address different questions. A process map details the steps within a single operation or department\u2014this is useful when you need to streamline a specific procedure. A value stream map takes a broader view: it covers the entire end-to-end flow across multiple processes, shows the time and inventory involved between them, and integrates material and information flows.<\/p>\n

Simply put, a process map answers the question \u201cHow is this step structured?\u201d, while a flow map answers \u201cWhere in the entire chain are we losing time and value?\u201d. The difference between these approaches is discussed in detail in a separate article titled \u201cProcess Map or Flow Map?\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

What the flowchart shows<\/h2>\n

The flowchart reveals what is usually hidden in day-to-day work:<\/p>\n