20.03.2023
Increasing the business value of IT through value stream mapping
Many companies face the challenge of increasing the business value of their IT. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) can support this by capturing and analyzing processes in their entirety. A bird's eye view of the value stream brings value creation and customer benefits into focus, which can lead to optimization and more efficient IT processes. The benefits range from faster response times and greater flexibility to shorter production cycles and more satisfied customers. Especially in software development and delivery, automation and continuous integration and deployment can minimize time and eliminate waste. However, a successful VSM implementation requires an external partner at least at the beginning and a long-term commitment to ensure sustainable knowledge transfer.
Value Stream Mapping approach
Value Stream Mapping analyzes the steps from customer need to value delivery. The actual process is considered to optimize the value stream. Involved parties, essential activities and process steps are identified. Data-driven questions are answered, interviews are conducted, processes are visualized and value chains are mapped. The goal is to minimize waste and increase effectiveness.
Determining value contributions
Each step is scrutinized in terms of its value contribution to the customer. The determination is made by answering whether a process contributes to value creation or not. The goal is to reduce necessary steps, eliminate superfluous loops, and optimize value-added steps. In IT, throughput and waiting times as well as cycle time are indicators of efficiency.
Determining the value contribution
Each step is scrutinized in terms of its value contribution to the customer. The determination is made by answering whether a process contributes to value creation or not. The goal is to reduce necessary steps, eliminate superfluous loops, and optimize value-added steps. In IT, throughput and waiting times as well as cycle time are indicators of efficiency.
Identification of interference fields and options for action
Disturbance fields and options for action are identified by identifying seven types of waste, such as excessive process variation or errors. In government agencies, for example, there are classic problems such as re-entering information that already exists. Visualization makes breaks in the system visible. Options for action are derived from the root cause analysis to find solutions. The overwork and overload of people and system leads to errors and disruptions in the process, which are detected by the Value Stream Mapping.
Process optimization
Value Stream Design follows the mapping and determines the ideal value stream of the future. In this process, steps are defined to achieve the target state and the prerequisites for this are determined. The goal is to optimize the process and improve time and quality. The final step is the implementation of the measures.
What are the benefits of Value Stream Mapping?
Value Stream Mapping captures processes in their entirety and creates a common understanding of the interrelationships. Interference fields are identified and options for action are derived in order to eliminate problems in the process and to eliminate waste. The view of the value contribution for the customer becomes the guiding principle. Productivity and collaboration improve, efficiency and effectiveness increase. Companies can reduce costs and increase their speed of response.
Introducing Value Stream Mapping to organizations
Value Stream Mapping improves company processes and can focus on either the product or the throughput. Management should initiate the process and a neutral facilitator should lead the flow. External support can be helpful to clarify the overall company claim. Long-term expertise within the company is necessary to regularly evaluate and optimize changes made.
In conclusion, Value Stream Management in IT identifies and makes visible customer value contributions, obstacles and progressions of processes. Companies are thus able to initiate optimizations and improve collaboration.
If you would like to learn more about Value Stream Mapping, read our German expert article on it-management.
Service Process Optimization
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On this basis, we optimize in a targeted manner, streamline and accelerate the relevant processes, and identify additional potential for digitalization and automation.
Value Stream Mapping Workshop
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