---
name: value-stream-mapping
description: Lean value stream mapping for identifying waste and optimization opportunities. Creates current/future state maps with cycle time analysis and improvement recommendations.
argument-hint: <process-description> [--mode full|quick|guided] [--output current|future|both] [--dir <path>]
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Glob, Grep, Task, Skill, AskUserQuestion
---

# Value Stream Mapping

Create Lean value stream maps to visualize flow, identify waste, and design improvement opportunities. Based on Lean manufacturing principles adapted for knowledge work.

## What is a Value Stream?

A **value stream** is the sequence of activities required to deliver value to a customer, from request to delivery. Value stream mapping (VSM) visualizes this flow to identify:

- **Value-adding activities** - Steps that directly create customer value
- **Waste (Muda)** - Steps that consume resources without adding value
- **Flow problems** - Bottlenecks, delays, and inefficiencies

## The 8 Wastes (TIMWOODS)

| Waste | Description | Examples in Knowledge Work |
|-------|-------------|---------------------------|
| **T**ransportation | Moving work between locations | Handoffs between teams, tool switching |
| **I**nventory | Unfinished work waiting | Backlog, WIP, queued requests |
| **M**otion | Unnecessary movement | Context switching, searching for info |
| **W**aiting | Idle time | Approvals, blocked work, dependencies |
| **O**verproduction | Making more than needed | Unused features, premature optimization |
| **O**verprocessing | Doing more than required | Gold plating, excessive documentation |
| **D**efects | Errors requiring rework | Bugs, miscommunication, rework |
| **S**kills | Underutilized talent | Manual work that could be automated |

## Workflow

### Phase 1: Define Scope

#### Step 1: Identify the Value Stream

| Question | Answer |
|----------|--------|
| What value are we delivering? | [Customer outcome] |
| Who is the customer? | [Internal/External customer] |
| Where does the stream start? | [Trigger/Request] |
| Where does it end? | [Value delivered] |

#### Step 2: Set Boundaries

```markdown
## Value Stream Definition

**Name:** Customer Order Fulfillment
**Trigger:** Customer places order
**End State:** Customer receives product
**Scope:** Order entry → Shipping (excludes manufacturing)
**Customer:** External retail customer
```

### Phase 2: Current State Map

#### Step 1: Walk the Process

Observe actual work (gemba walk):

- Follow a real work item through the process
- Document what actually happens, not what should happen
- Note handoffs, delays, and workarounds

#### Step 2: Document Process Steps

For each step, capture:

| Metric | Definition | How to Measure |
|--------|------------|----------------|
| **Process Time (PT)** | Active work time | Time actually working |
| **Lead Time (LT)** | Total elapsed time | Clock time start to finish |
| **Wait Time (WT)** | Time waiting | LT - PT |
| **% Complete & Accurate (%C&A)** | First-time quality | % not requiring rework |

#### Step 3: Create Current State Map

```markdown
## Current State Value Stream

| Step | Owner | PT | LT | %C&A | Inventory | Notes |
|------|-------|-----|-----|------|-----------|-------|
| Order Entry | Sales | 15m | 2h | 85% | 50 orders | Manual entry |
| Credit Check | Finance | 10m | 8h | 95% | 30 orders | Batch processing |
| Inventory Alloc | Warehouse | 5m | 4h | 90% | 20 orders | System lookup |
| Pick & Pack | Warehouse | 30m | 6h | 92% | 40 orders | Manual process |
| Ship | Logistics | 10m | 24h | 98% | 100 orders | Carrier pickup |

**Total Process Time:** 70 minutes
**Total Lead Time:** 44 hours
**Flow Efficiency:** 2.7% (PT / LT)
```

### Phase 3: Analyze Waste

#### Step 1: Calculate Flow Efficiency

```text
Flow Efficiency = Process Time / Lead Time × 100%

Example: 70 min / 2640 min = 2.7%
```

**Interpretation:**

- < 5%: Significant waste (typical for unoptimized processes)
- 5-15%: Moderate efficiency
- 15-25%: Good efficiency
- > 25%: Excellent (rare for knowledge work)

#### Step 2: Identify Waste by Type

```markdown
## Waste Analysis

### Waiting (45% of lead time)
- Credit check batch processing: 8 hours → could be real-time
- Carrier pickup schedule: 24 hours → could be on-demand

### Inventory (150 orders WIP)
- Orders queue at each step
- No pull system in place

### Defects (15% rework at order entry)
- Manual data entry errors
- Missing required fields

### Overprocessing
- Full credit check for returning customers
- Duplicate data entry across systems
```

#### Step 3: Identify Bottlenecks

The constraint (bottleneck) limits the entire system:

```markdown
## Bottleneck Analysis

**Primary Bottleneck:** Credit Check
- Highest queue (30 orders)
- Batch processing creates 8-hour wait
- Blocks downstream flow

**Secondary Bottleneck:** Pick & Pack
- Manual process
- Variable cycle time
```

### Phase 4: Future State Design

#### Step 1: Apply Lean Principles

| Principle | Current Problem | Future State Solution |
|-----------|----------------|----------------------|
| **Flow** | Batch processing | Continuous flow, single-piece |
| **Pull** | Push based on forecast | Pull based on demand |
| **Perfection** | Accept defects, fix later | Build quality in |

#### Step 2: Design Improvements

```markdown
## Future State Design

### Eliminate Waiting
- Real-time credit API vs. batch
- On-demand carrier pickup

### Reduce Inventory
- WIP limits at each step
- Pull signals between steps

### Improve Quality
- Validation at order entry
- Auto-populate from CRM

### Automate Motion Waste
- Single system vs. multiple tools
- API integrations
```

#### Step 3: Create Future State Map

```markdown
## Future State Value Stream

| Step | Owner | PT | LT | %C&A | Inventory | Changes |
|------|-------|-----|-----|------|-----------|---------|
| Order Entry | Sales | 10m | 30m | 98% | 10 orders | Validation, auto-fill |
| Credit Check | System | 1m | 5m | 99% | 0 | Real-time API |
| Inventory Alloc | System | 1m | 5m | 99% | 0 | Automated |
| Pick & Pack | Warehouse | 25m | 2h | 96% | 15 orders | Better tooling |
| Ship | Logistics | 10m | 4h | 99% | 20 orders | On-demand pickup |

**Target Process Time:** 47 minutes (33% reduction)
**Target Lead Time:** 6.7 hours (85% reduction)
**Target Flow Efficiency:** 11.7% (4x improvement)
```

### Phase 5: Implementation Roadmap

#### Step 1: Prioritize Improvements

| Improvement | Impact | Effort | Priority |
|-------------|--------|--------|----------|
| Real-time credit API | High (8h → 5m) | Medium | 1 |
| Order entry validation | Medium (15% → 2% errors) | Low | 2 |
| On-demand carrier | High (24h → 4h) | High | 3 |
| Automated inventory | Medium | Medium | 4 |

#### Step 2: Define Kaizen Events

Focused improvement workshops:

```markdown
## Kaizen Event: Credit Check Automation

**Scope:** Eliminate credit check batch processing
**Target:** 8 hours → 5 minutes lead time
**Team:** Finance, IT, Process Owner
**Duration:** 1 week intensive
**Deliverables:**
- API integration specification
- Process redesign
- Training materials
```

## Output Formats

### Narrative Summary

```markdown
## Value Stream Analysis Summary

**Value Stream:** [Name]
**Date:** [ISO date]
**Analyst:** value-stream-analyst

### Current State Metrics
- **Process Time:** X minutes
- **Lead Time:** Y hours
- **Flow Efficiency:** Z%
- **Primary Bottleneck:** [Step]

### Top Waste Categories
1. **Waiting (X% of LT):** [Description]
2. **Inventory (X orders WIP):** [Description]
3. **[Other waste]:** [Description]

### Future State Targets
- **Lead Time Reduction:** X%
- **Flow Efficiency Target:** Y%
- **Quality Target:** Z% first-time right

### Recommended Actions
1. [High priority improvement]
2. [Medium priority improvement]
3. [Lower priority improvement]
```

### Structured Data (YAML)

```yaml
value_stream:
  name: "Customer Order Fulfillment"
  version: "1.0"
  date: "{ISO-8601-date}"
  analyst: "value-stream-analyst"

  boundaries:
    trigger: "Customer places order"
    end_state: "Customer receives product"
    customer: "External retail customer"

  current_state:
    total_process_time_minutes: 70
    total_lead_time_hours: 44
    flow_efficiency_percent: 2.7
    wip_total: 240

    steps:
      - name: "Order Entry"
        owner: "Sales"
        process_time_minutes: 15
        lead_time_hours: 2
        complete_accurate_percent: 85
        inventory: 50
        waste_types:
          - type: defects
            description: "Manual entry errors"
          - type: motion
            description: "Multiple system entry"

      - name: "Credit Check"
        owner: "Finance"
        process_time_minutes: 10
        lead_time_hours: 8
        complete_accurate_percent: 95
        inventory: 30
        is_bottleneck: true
        waste_types:
          - type: waiting
            description: "Batch processing"

  waste_analysis:
    - type: waiting
      percent_of_lead_time: 45
      root_causes:
        - "Batch processing"
        - "Scheduled pickups"

    - type: inventory
      total_wip: 240
      root_causes:
        - "No WIP limits"
        - "Push system"

  future_state:
    target_process_time_minutes: 47
    target_lead_time_hours: 6.7
    target_flow_efficiency_percent: 11.7

    improvements:
      - name: "Real-time credit API"
        waste_eliminated: waiting
        impact: high
        effort: medium
        lead_time_reduction_hours: 7.9

  roadmap:
    - phase: 1
      improvements: ["Real-time credit API", "Order validation"]
      duration_weeks: 4

    - phase: 2
      improvements: ["On-demand carrier", "Inventory automation"]
      duration_weeks: 8
```

### Mermaid Diagrams

**Current State Flow:**

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    subgraph Current State
        A[Order Entry<br/>PT: 15m | LT: 2h<br/>WIP: 50] --> B[Credit Check<br/>PT: 10m | LT: 8h<br/>WIP: 30]
        B --> C[Inventory<br/>PT: 5m | LT: 4h<br/>WIP: 20]
        C --> D[Pick & Pack<br/>PT: 30m | LT: 6h<br/>WIP: 40]
        D --> E[Ship<br/>PT: 10m | LT: 24h<br/>WIP: 100]
    end

    style B fill:#ff9999
```

**Future State Flow:**

```mermaid
flowchart LR
    subgraph Future State
        A[Order Entry<br/>PT: 10m | LT: 30m<br/>WIP: 10] --> B[Credit<br/>API: 1m<br/>WIP: 0]
        B --> C[Inventory<br/>Auto: 1m<br/>WIP: 0]
        C --> D[Pick & Pack<br/>PT: 25m | LT: 2h<br/>WIP: 15]
        D --> E[Ship<br/>PT: 10m | LT: 4h<br/>WIP: 20]
    end

    style B fill:#99ff99
    style C fill:#99ff99
```

## When to Use

| Scenario | Use Value Stream Mapping? |
|----------|--------------------------|
| Process improvement | Yes - identify waste |
| New system design | Yes - design for flow |
| Cost reduction | Yes - find inefficiencies |
| Lead time complaints | Yes - find bottlenecks |
| Quality problems | Partial - with root cause analysis |
| Greenfield project | Maybe - limited current state |

## Integration

### Upstream (Discovery)

- **process-modeling** - Understand current process
- **capability-mapping** - Link to business capabilities
- **stakeholder-analysis** - Identify process owners

### Downstream

- **Requirements** - Improvement requirements
- **Systems design** - Automation opportunities
- **Project planning** - Kaizen event planning

## Related Skills

- `journey-mapping` - Customer experience perspective
- `capability-mapping` - Capability view of value delivery
- `root-cause-analysis` - Investigate bottleneck causes
- `prioritization` - Prioritize improvement initiatives
- `process-modeling` - Detailed BPMN process diagrams
- `estimation` - Estimate improvement effort
- `benchmarking` - Current vs target comparison

## User-Facing Interface

When invoked directly by the user, this skill operates as follows.

### Arguments

- `<process-description>`: Description of the value stream or process to analyze
- `--mode`: Analysis mode (default: `guided`)
  - `full`: Comprehensive analysis with current/future state maps (~12K tokens)
  - `quick`: Rapid waste identification (~4K tokens)
  - `guided`: Interactive value stream mapping (variable)
- `--output`: Output format (default: `both`)
  - `current`: Current state map only
  - `future`: Future state map only
  - `both`: Both current and future state
- `--dir`: Output directory (default: `docs/analysis/`)

### Execution Workflow

1. **Parse Arguments** - Extract process description, mode, and output format. If no description provided, ask the user what value stream to analyze (what value is delivered, what triggers the process, what marks completion).
2. **Execute Based on Mode**:
   - **Full**: Spawn the `value-stream-analyst` agent for end-to-end analysis with Process Time, Lead Time, %C&A metrics, TIMWOODS waste analysis, bottleneck identification (Theory of Constraints), and future state design with Kaizen event proposals.
   - **Quick**: Rapid identification of major steps, rough lead times, obvious waste (waiting, handoffs, rework), approximate flow efficiency, and 3-5 quick wins.
   - **Guided**: Interactive mapping walking through scope definition, step-by-step process documentation (PT, LT, %C&A, owner), metric calculation, waste identification by TIMWOODS category, bottleneck identification, and future state design.
3. **Generate Output** - Produce current state map, flow diagram (Mermaid flowchart), waste analysis, future state map with improvement targets, and prioritized improvement roadmap with Kaizen event proposals.
4. **Save Results** - Save to `docs/analysis/value-stream-[name].md` (or custom `--dir`).
5. **Suggest Follow-Ups** - Recommend stakeholder-analysis for change management, journey-mapping for customer experience impact, and capability-mapping for process-capability alignment.

## Version History

- **v1.0.0** (2025-12-26): Initial release