Learning About Lean

Try It Yourself: Value Stream Mapping

Value Stream Mapping helps you visualize every step in a process — from start to finish — to see where time, effort, or resources are being wasted.

In this activity, you’ll choose a simple real-world process and create a rough map of how it flows, where delays occur, and what could be improved.

 

Choose a simple process: making breakfast, packing for a trip, submitting a school assignment, etc.

Write down each step from start to finish

Add how long each step takes

Mark where you wait, search, re-do, or switch contexts

Look for steps that:

Add value (i.e., essential to the outcome)

Don’t add value (waste)

Use sticky notes, index cards, a whiteboard, or draw it digitally — no special software needed!

Check-List:

Chose a process

Identified all major steps

Noted time and waiting for each step

Highlighted value-adding vs non-value-adding steps

Thought of one possible improvement

 

Answer Key – 5 Whys Quiz

Q1: What is the purpose of the 5 Whys method?
✅ Correct Answer: To identify the root cause of a problem
📌 Asking “Why?” repeatedly helps move past symptoms and surface-level causes toward something actionable that can be improved.

Q2: When should you stop asking “Why?” during the 5 Whys process?
✅ Correct Answer: When you identify a cause that is within your control and can be addressed
📌 The goal is not to reach an arbitrary number or assign blame — it’s to reach the point where you can intervene meaningfully.

The 7 Wastes Answer Key

Q1: Which of these is a type of waste in Lean?
✅ Correct Answer: Overproduction
📌 Overproduction happens when more is made than needed or before it’s needed — leading to excess inventory, defects, or delay.

Q2: “Motion” waste refers to:
✅ Correct Answer: Unnecessary movement of people during a process
📌 This includes walking, reaching, or shifting frequently between tools or workstations — often overlooked but cumulative in cost.

Answer Key – Value Stream Mapping Quiz

Q1: What is the primary purpose of Value Stream Mapping?
✅ Correct Answer: To visualize a process and identify waste
📌 VSM maps out every step in a process to show how materials and information flow — highlighting delays, inefficiencies, and opportunities to improve.

Q2: Which of the following is least likely to appear on a value stream map?
✅ Correct Answer: Customer names
📌 VSM focuses on process elements like steps, inventory, wait times, and handoffs. Individual customer data is not typically included unless specifically relevant to process variation.

 

Answer Key – 5S Quiz

Q1:
❌ Incorrect Option: “Simplify”
✅ Correct Answer: Sort, Shine, Sustain are all part of 5S — Simplify is not.

Q2:
✅ Correct Answer: “Shine” means clean the workspace and inspect for problems.