VSM Participant Guide for Training to See: A Value Stream Mapping Workshop

Gradually, through trial and error in dozens of workshops in a wide range of companies and at the University of Michigan, they discovered the best way to teach mapping to groups of managers, engineers, and production associates.

Indeed, the insights gained from these workshops made it possible for them to write the Learning to See workbook in a particularly clear style.

In Training to See they pass along their accumulated knowledge of how you can teach groups of employees, and eventually your entire operating team, the fundamental principles of lean thinking through the lens of Value Stream Mapping. Mike and John provide tips on how to set up and conduct effective Value Stream Mapping workshops at your own facility. Their Training to See workshop combines classroom instruction with practical on-the-floor mapping exercises using your own product families as examples. The instructor's manual includes easy to follow instructions with icons that highlight exactly what to Say, Do, Write/Draw and Ask throughout the course.

The workshop begins with a short video introduction by Jim Womack discussing the history and evolution of lean principles. The instructor then presents key lean concepts including the identification of product families, the nature of waste, the need for continuous flow wherever possible, the importance of smooth pull facilitated by heijunka, and the critical role of management in striving for perfection along each value stream.

Each member of the class follows along with their participant guide as the instructor demonstrates how to draw a detailed map of the current state using a simple manufacturing example. Armed with a basic understanding of mapping, participants form teams and go out to the gemba, the workplace, to map the current state for one or more of their own product families. They then return to the classroom to present and discuss their maps with the rest of the class.

Next, the instructor explains what makes a value stream lean, and once again uses a simple example to lead the class in mapping a future state. The students then go back out to the gemba to map the future state for the product family they have selected. After another debriefing session, participants develop the implementation plan they will follow to achieve immediate and sustainable results. The workshop concludes with some final words of encouragement from Jim Womack.

Each Training to See kit contains:

• A facilitator's guide with step-by-step instructions on how to teach the material and tips from Mike and John on particularly effective techniques
• An opening and closing video (VHS) featuring Jim Womack discussing the history of lean, the critical importance of value stream mapping, and the opportunity for each participant to actually make a difference in the future success of their company
• A copy of Lean Thinking by Jim and Dan Jones
• 21 participant guides
• A set of transparencies with all of the visuals needed for the course
• A CD-ROM with PowerPoint slides of all the overheads
• A laminated wall chart tracking the progress of the class
• A copy of Mike and John's Learning to See
• Recognition certificates for each participant
• A sturdy and attractive carrying case

Every company that is serious about becoming lean will need to teach its entire workforce and then its suppliers how to see and how to eliminate waste in every value stream. Training to See is the essential teaching tool for achieving a successful lean transformation.