From Current State to Future State: Mapping the Steel to Component Supply Chain

The research presented investigates the ongoing development of a methodology for mapping value streams and supply chains. This methodology and tool kit have been evaluated within the Lean Processing Programme (LEAP), a 3 - year initiative focused on making significant gains in competitive advantage for the UK upstream automotive industry. The tools used draw upon a methodology devised by Rother & Shook [(1998) Learning to See, Value Stream Mapping to Add Value and Eliminate Muda (Brookline: The Lean Enterprise Institute)] to map value streams for a single firm. This approach has been developed in order to create a picture of the value stream for a product across three companies - steel producer, steel service centre and first tier component supplier. The approach is intended to help practitioners understand the value stream through a visual tool so that opportunities for improvement can be identified.