Most process designs will eventually result in a traditional process map, either in BPMN or another suitable format. This is great for understanding how the process will work, its connections and who is doing what, but gives little indication of potential performance. On the other hand, a value stream map (VSM), which is often thought of mainly as an improvement tool, can also be a valuable addition to a new process design.
Even though you may not have any real performance data for a new process, visualising the process in terms of a value stream, can show you where potential bottlenecks and areas of waste can form, before the process is implemented. In addition, by adding estimates for task and wait times, it can act as a simplified method of modelling.
Although VSMs for manufacturing can become complex, those for services can often be quite simple to create, which is fortunate since the majority of local business is in services.
Shown below is an example of a request for non standard software, within an organisation. At the top is the process, described in BPMN2 format, and underneath is a VSM for the same process. The VSM is just one of a number of possible formats but quite adequate for indicating estimates of times and where waste is slowing down delivery. It shows just the essential process steps, excluding decision points, with the arrows in between tasks usually, although not always, being the source of most delays.
The term Value Add (VA) is usually defined as what a customer of the process would be willing to pay for (the product or service) when they knew what the process involved.
Conversely, the term Non Value Add (NVA) is usually defined as waste, in all of its various forms. In this instance, it is overwhelmingly time. There is also another category that can be added in some circumstances, often called Business Value Add (BVA), which usually refers to action needed to satisfy various authorities but which does not add any value to the process.
BPMN and VSM used together.
In this simple example, it's obvious that waiting for the following task to happen is the main source of waste. However, although the task to authorise only takes 10 min, it has been marked as NVA as it adds nothing to the process from the viewpoint of the requestor (customer).
The advantage of this exercise is that it can quickly show you if your new process flows like a river or more like a series of spurts, where there is a short piece of action followed by a long wait. If this was a new process, using estimated times, then you could immediately see where to make improvements before the process was put into use.
For example, you might discover that the second approver only approved requests in batches, as the approval application was difficult to use or could not be accessed from a mobile device, or they were just too busy. Additionally, there may be no classification of non standard, authorised software, so that an automatic bypass of the approval process could not be used, resulting in every request having to pass though the one or two approvers.
The use of a VSM is most effective for transactional processes that are repeated many times, where delays can accumulate and so lower the long term efficiency of the process. So if you have one of those, give it a go and go with the flow …