Increasing Productivity by Reducing Manufacturing Lead Time through Value Stream Mapping

Abstract

To survive in today’s competitive business world, companies require small lead times, low costs and high customer service levels. As such, companies pay more effort to reduce their manufacturing lead times. Value stream mapping (VSM) technique has been used on a broad scale in big companies such as Toyota and Boeing. This paper considers the implementation of value stream mapping technique in manufacturing helical springs by railway spring manufacturing company. It focuses on product family, current state map improvements and the future state map. The aim is to identify waste in the form of non value added activities & processes and then removing them to improve the performance of the company. Current state map is prepared to describe the existing position and various problem areas.. Future state map is prepared to show the proposed improvement action plans. The achievements of value stream implementation are reduction in lead time, cycle time and inventory level. It was found that even a small company can make significant improvements by adopting VSM technology. It was concluded that if we adopt the VSM technique the company could reduce the manufacturing lead time from 36.86 days to 34.06 days.