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Value Stream Mapping: a study about the problems and challenges found in
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DOI: 10.1007/s00170-014-5712-z

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Value Stream Mapping: a study about
the problems and challenges found in the
literature from the past 15 years about
application of Lean tools

Ana Julia Dal Forno, Fernando Augusto

Pereira, Fernando Antonio Forcellini &
Liane M. Kipper

The International Journal of

Advanced Manufacturing Technology

ISSN 0268-3768

Int J Adv Manuf Technol

DOI 10.1007/s00170-014-5712-z

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 Author's personal copy
Int J Adv Manuf Technol
DOI 10.1007/s00170-014-5712-z
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Value Stream Mapping: a study about the problems
and challenges found in the literature from the past 15 years
about application of Lean tools
Ana Julia Dal Forno & Fernando Augusto Pereira &
Fernando Antonio Forcellini & Liane M. Kipper
Received: 13 November 2013 / Accepted: 10 February 2014
# Springer-Verlag London 2014
Abstract Value stream mapping (VSM) is an important tool
of the lean approach and is used to identify value-adding
activities and those considered wasteful of materials and the
flow of information and people. However, when not applied
correctly, VSM can complicate the identification of waste,
lead to misinterpretations and assessment mistakes, and un-
dermine the implementation of future improvements. The
purpose of this paper is to investigate the main difficulties
and limitations encountered during the construction of current
state maps, analysis of the associated causes, and pointing out
of guidelines to facilitate the use of VSM to map processes. To
do so, a search and evaluation of papers in journals, confer-
ences, theses, and dissertations was conducted, and the articles
were categorized according to the field of application (factory
floor, supply chain, product development and services) and
approach (theoretical or practical). In conclusion, this paper
criticizes some ways that VSM has been used, observing that
important constraints created by its application must be con-
sidered and that when used incorrectly, the tool can lead to
mistakes that can cause problems instead of benefits. Consid-
ering the problems identified, the paper suggests future works
for improving the use of VSM for mapping processes.
Keywords Lean manufacturing . Value stream mapping .
Lead time reduction . Process . Improvement
A. J. D. Forno (*) : F. A. Forcellini
Department of Production and Systems Engineering, Santa Catarina
Federal University (UFSC), Florianópolis, Brazil
e-mail: anajudalforno@hotmail.com
F. A. Pereira : L. M. Kipper
Department of Chemistry and Physics and the Post-Graduation
Program in Industrial Systems and Processes, University in Santa
Cruz do Sul (UNISC), Santa Cruz do Sul, Brazil
1 Introduction
Lean manufacturing (LM) is as relevant today to production
systems as mass production was in the early twentieth century.
According to Ohno [55], “LM is widely considered the next
big step in the evolution of manufacturing beyond Ford Mass
Production.” In the early 1990s, Womack et al. [84] reported that
companies where LM was applied had better results than com-
panies that used other production systems. Besides the applica-
tion in various manufacturing sectors including textiles, auto-
mobiles, ceramics, and electronics, the lean approach has also
gained space in logistics, services, healthcare, product develop-
ment, banks, and even in agribusiness [14–16, 29, 66, 67, 82].
To implement lean instruments, it is necessary to involve
people from all organizational levels (Fig. 1), considering in-
stitutional, intermediate, and operational levels [11, 31, 32, 57].
Considered a process map, VSM is inserted at the intermedi-
ate level to be able to deploy company management tactics at the
operational level. VSM is described as a technique used for the
diagnosis, implementation, and maintenance of a lean approach.
Its main function is to identify opportunities for improvement
and the elimination of waste with support from operational staff
[55, 53, 57]. The goals of VSM are to observe material
flow in real time from the final customer to the raw material
and to visualize losses in the process (Fig. 2), using symbols to
represent the process visually and clearly. VSM has three basics
steps—construction of a current state map, construction of a
future state map, and development of an action plan.
Some VSM benefits are [62]:
Allows a broad view of the entire flow; Helps to identify
wastes;
Shows the relationship between material and informa-
tion flow;
Provides a simple and standardized way to treat
procedures;
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Int J Adv Manuf Technol

Fig. 1 The different levels of Organizational

People involved Content Horizon Amplitude
organization and their Level
responsibilities generic and macro oriented and
institutional director long term
strategic supraorganizational
tactical and oriented business
intermediate manager medium term
operational unit
supervisor, leaders detailed and punctual, related to
operational short term
and operatives execution each transaction

Makes decisions more “visible,” allowing previous dis-
cussion of possible changes and improvements and;
Forms the basis for an action plan.
Managing the value stream involves a process of under-
standing, measuring, and improving the flow of materials and
information and the interactions of all tasks, to keep a
company’s costs, services, and quality products as competitive
as possible [39]. Activities required to create, program, and
produce a product that can’t be measured can’t be precisely
identified, analyzed, questioned, and ultimately, improved or
entirely eliminated [83]. VSM is one of the valuable tools for
understanding the current process status and identifying oppor-
tunities to make improvements [17]. VSM is a useful tool for
guiding improvements based on a carefully considered and
developed plan. Lean experts look at operations from the
value-stream perspective [47]. Lean implementation allows a
company to reinforce the various stages that lead to operational
excellence, continuous improvement, and elimination of activ-
ities that don’t add value. Thus, the influence of lean practices
contributes substantially to a factory’s performance, and the use
of lean tools amplifies these results [1]. Nevertheless, although
it has numerous advantages and positive aspects, the use of
VSM presents some difficulties and limitations.
“The development of a current state map looks like a
simple task. One just goes out and documents what it is
seen. Show the process and material flow from one
process to another. This sounds very easy. What we
see in reality are people ‘stuck’ in a mud puddle. Many
try to do the ‘right’ map, when actually the purpose of
mapping is to see things that are wrong. The lack of
standardization of the work station sometimes makes the
process of capturing reality very hard” [47].
In addition to the difficulty of capturing the reality, VSM
can be difficult to use when a process is complex, such as
automobile production where raw materials processing can
involve several processes and sub-processes [64].
1.1 Purpose and methodology
The aim of this paper is to identify the main difficulties and
limitations in VSM current state map construction, its major
causes, and the guidelines for its use. A theoretical-conceptual
approach was used by conducting a bibliographic search with
the words VSM and lean.
In Emerald Insight, the search identified 180 papers, which
were evaluated according to title and abstract, leaving just 21
relevant papers. In the Springerlink database, 2,689 papers
were identified, and their titles and abstracts were assessed,
leaving only seven relevant papers. This significant reduction
in the amount of articles is because the initials VSM are used
in other fields like chemistry, physics, computer science,
business, and economics. In other databases (Scirus and Sci-
ence Direct), there were only four studies. Three papers were
from the Industrial Engineering Congress (Enegep), an impor-
tant Brazilian conference in this area, and nine papers from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which has a

Fig. 2 VSM example [62]

Request / weekly Request / weekly
forecast PCP forecast
Supplier Customer
MRP – Weekly
Weekly Weekly
delivery schedule delivery

Process 1 Process 2 Test

Expedition
E 1 2 1
Coils CT 7s
E CT 74 s E CT 19 s E Shelf
Setup 1h
2.760 Setup 20 s 2.760 Setup 0 4.140

5 days 2 days 2 days 3 days Production lead

7s 74 s 19 s time = 12 days
Process time = 100s
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research reference center in the lean approach called the Lean
Advancement Initiative. The Isi Web of Knowledge database
was also used, and after the application of filters, removal of
duplicate articles, and reading, 11 relevant articles were iden-
tified through Sept. 2013. Thus, a total of 57 articles were
classified according to criteria to be detailed later.
The paper is organized in four parts. In section 1, lean and
VSM concepts and definitions and their importance were
introduced, in addition to the objectives and methodological
approach. Section 2 presents a research and evaluation de-
scription of the papers in journals, conferences, theses, and
dissertations, according to the field of application (factory
floor, supply chain, product development and services) and
methodological approach (theoretical or practical). These pa-
pers were later evaluated, and the problems and limitations
they identified classified in 10 categories. The difficulties
encountered are related to products, methods/processes, and
people. Section 3 lists some guidelines and decision points for
the success of VSM related to demand, product/family com-
plexity, process stability, degree of innovation, and a
company’s manufacturing strategy. Section 4 is devoted to
conclusions and highlights the difficulties and future opportu-
nities identified. Finally, the references used are listed.
2 VSM problems, challenges, and limitations
VSM is conducted in locus at a factory in a hands-on process
and is highly dependent on the skill of the person who is
executing the VSM. Liker and Meier [47] highlighted the
danger in using VSM like a cookbook. At Toyota, people
spend years working on improvement projects before they
reach the status of new on STP (segmenting, targeting, posi-
tioning). There is a lot to learn, and it is only possible to learn
by doing.
“The mapping makes people feel as if they are doing
something lean, but it’s just a drawing. One must have
an in-depth understanding of basic concepts and how to
create processes that can be linked. That is when it
becomes very useful to have someone who has already
done the path of process flow in the factory. This person
not only knows where it is going to, but it can save many
hours that would be wasted by taking the wrong path”
[47].
A total of 57 papers were analyzed to identify problems
during VSM implementation. These papers were classified
into eleven categories (P1 to P11) as follows:
P1 Low/lack of integration between processes—cases that
demonstrate difficulties or a lack of integration between
processes, creating integration barriers within the plant;
P2 Low/lack of clarity of procedures—cases where the pro-
duction processes are not clear. The materials and parts
travel different paths within the production line;
P3 Low/lack of product modularity—cases where the prod-
ucts are not modularly designed, making them difficult to
manufacture and assemble;
P4 Low-skilled people—cases where low-skilled personnel
impede understanding and tool usage;
P5 Poor/lack of process stability—cases where there is a
lack of standardization and process stability;
P6 Problems/difficulties in measuring data in processes—
cases where time data and quantity measurements are
impractical due to layout problems, product complexity,
or process type;
P7 Obsolescence of the current state map—cases where
processes have changed, but there is no documentation
about this;
P8 Small batches with highly mixed production—cases
where VSM application is compromised because
there are many product types being assembled with
the same infrastructure and production schedule
uncapped (heijunka);
P9 Production too flexible—cases where the production line
is too flexible, constantly changing to adapt to market
and product changes;
P10 Process too intuitive—cases where process flow is too
dependent on the operator who decides in real time the
way that the product should go into production;
P11 Other problems—problems that do not fall into catego-
ries P1 to P10 are considered in this category. Examples
found include authors who comment that VSM only
shows the current state, and is either very pessimistic or
very optimistic, depending on the level of stock and
other factors that occur at the moment in which the
process is mapped given that it is considered analogous
to a photograph. Other problems cited were imbalances
in processes, a lack of support from management for the
execution of VSM, indicators that are not aligned with a
lean approach, and a failure to consider the value of the
client. Some of these problems are not related to the tool
itself, but mainly to production problems.
Regarding the procedure, the papers were classified as
“theoretical” when they were based on reviews or the
literature or “practical” when practical applications of
VSM were described, for example, a survey, case studies,
or simulations.
According to the area, papers were classified in the follow-
ing categories:
Production Related to activities on the factory
floor, works applied to
manufacturing, and the industrial
environment;
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Before 2004 Product choice Product development is essential for an orga-

After 2009
35% 26%
2005 - 2008
39%
Fig. 3 Year of publication of the studies analyzed
Supply chain Involve, in addition to manufacturing,
management (SCM) a relationship with suppliers and
logistics;
Other areas Works applied to services, such
as hotels or the administrative
sectors at companies such as
product development.
The term “VSM” began to appear in publications in 1999.
Fifteen articles from 1999–2004 were analyzed, 22 studies
from 2005–2008, with 11 in 2007 alone. Since 2009, there
were 20 studies, with the search terminating in September
2013 (Fig. 3).
According to the survey, 79 % of the papers are practical
and 21 % are theoretical, meaning that researchers are using
the tool to make improvements at organizations. As for the
field of application, 61 % of the works were related to the
factory floor (production), 25 % related to other application
areas, 12 % related with SCM, and 2 % with both production
and SCM. Figure 4 illustrates the research results of the main
difficulties reported in the papers on VSM, and that many of
them discuss more than one type of problem.
Table 1 shows the classifications according to author, year,
methodology, field of application, and the problems found.
Besides the reported problems, VSM implementation is
still experiencing some challenges and limitations, as identi-
fied in the papers:
nization’s success, survival, and renewal, particularly for com-
panies in competitive markets. These requirements show that
companies have a larger product portfolio than they had years
ago as well as smaller production lots and greater product
variety. Factories must adapt to this reality, which increases
the complexity and need for organizing production. From a
lean manufacturing perspective, the process maps are used to
eliminate wastes from the customers’ perspective; and for this
reason, they are related to products. Products may take differ-
ent paths during a single process. Therefore, a change in one
process made to eliminate wastes for a specific product
doesn’t always eliminate wastes in other products. In some
cases, it may even increase wastes, depending on how the
process is organized. This makes it difficult to choose the
product to be examined by the process map [6, 9, 24]. Many
authors indicate that this type of situation can be remedied
with the use of techniques such as clustering products in
families [2, 4–6, 9, 13, 17, 20, 22, 24, 28, 35, 40]. However,
the clustering practice only works if the products use the same
production resources. Fargher [22] suggests that it is necessary
to examine various products in the same family to demonstrate
that the family group technique was really effective for clas-
sifying products.
Processes with lack of stability Processes that are not stable
are almost impossible to improve because the mapping does
not represent the process’ real situation because each day, the
process behaves in a different way. This is why production
process standardization is so important [17, 47, 53, 54, 65, 69,
78]. Before beginning the current state mapping, it is neces-
sary to confirm if there is stability in the process. Stability in
this case is broadly defined. It implies in-cycle time stability,
meeting defined procedures; the use of machinery that is
capable of reproducing project specifications, maintaining
quality levels; that production be in keeping with demand,
having a proper and reproducible setup process and having
trained personnel. Finally, it should be ensured that the

Fig. 4 VSM frequency of P11: Others problems 5

problems identified in papers
P10: Intuitive process 8
P9: Production flexibility 7

P8: High product mix 19

P7: Map obsolescence 5

P6: Processes measurements 32

P5: Processes stability 18

P4: People qualification 23

P3: Product modularity 9

P2: Clarity of procedures 22

P1: Integration between process 22

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
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Table 1 Classification of the papers about VSM analyzed

No. Reference and year Methodology Area Problems with application

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11

1 [1] Practical SCM x x

2 [2] Practical Production x x x x x
3 [3] Practical Production x x x
4 [4] Practical Production x x x
5 [5] Theoretical Others x x x x x
6 [7] Practical Production and SCM x x x x x
7 [10] Practical SCM x x x
8 [12] Theoretical SCM x x x x x x x
9 [13] Practical Production x x
10 [18] Practical Production x x
11 [19] Practical SCM x x
12 [20] Practical SCM x
13 [21] Theoretical Production x x
14 [22] Practical Production x
15 [23] Theoretical SCM x x x x x
16 [24] Practical Production x x x x x x
17 [25] Theoretical Production x x x x x
18 [26] Practical Production x x x x x
19 [27] Practical Others x
20 [28] Practical Production x x
21 [29] Theoretical Others x x x x x
22 [30] Practical Production x x x
23 [31, 32] Practical Production x x x x
24 [31, 32] Practical Production x
25 [33] Practical Production x x
26 [34] Practical Production x x
27 [36] Theoretical Production x
28 [38] Practical Others x x x x
29 [40] Practical Production x x x x x x x
30 [41] Theoretical Others x
31 [41] Theoretical Others x x
32 [43] Practical Others x x x x
33 [44] Practical Production x x x
34 [45] Practical Production x x x
35 [48] Practical Others x x
36 [50] Practical Others x x
37 [52] Practical Others x
38 [51] Theoretical Production x x x x
39 [56] Practical Production x x x x x
40 [58] Practical Production x
41 [60] Practical Production x
42 [63] Practical Production x
43 [64] Practical SCM x x x x x x
44 [66] Practical Production x x
45 [68] Practical Production x x
46 [70] Practical Production x x x
47 [71, 72] Theoretical Production x x x x
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Table 1 (continued)

No. Reference and year Methodology Area Problems with application

P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6 P7 P8 P9 P10 P11

48 [71, 72] Practical Production x x x

49 [73] Practical Production x x
50 [74] Theoretical Production x x
51 [75] Practical Others x x x
52 [76] Practical Production x x
53 [77] Practical Others x x x
54 [80] Practical Production x x x
55 [81] Practical Production x x x
56 [79] Practical Others x x x x
57 [85] Practical Others x x

productive system will behave consistently over a given peri-
od of time. Process stability can be evaluated by confirming its
reproducibility and repeatability. BIPM [8] describes that
reproducibility is the degree of concordance between the
results of successive measurements of the same measurand
carried out under the same conditions of measurement and
repeatability is the degree of concordance between mea-
surement results of the same measurand carried out under
various measuring conditions. In this light, frequent VSM
conducted with the same product can help to assess the
process stability.
Measurements of inadequate data in production process
Failures in data measurements in production processes can
lead to inconsistent data, which don’t represent the true reality
of a process. Cases may be stable, but if they are not properly
measured, they will not correspond to reality. Like the stability
in a process, the accuracy of data is also important in VSM.
Some authors have cited transparency as a key element in
current state mapping understood as the accuracy of the infor-
mation collected in the factory [4–6, 12, 41–43, 67, 75].
The need to have data flow processes that can be interpreted
as economic data The main focus of the lean approach is to
reduce costs and increase productivity [55, 53, 65].
Thus, the proper measurement of times and distances in
processes results in analyzing how the production system is
being used to produce a product. In this sense, a map that
allows the systematic identification and quantification of
wastes at a company is certainly useful for aiding the process
of analyzing and improving the efficiency of internal process-
es [46, 61, 74] measured by assessing system costs. Contri-
butions to information about costs made by managers, ac-
countants, and engineers can help identify opportunities for
further cost reductions and improve quality and productivity,
thus providing more financial value to the company ([74]).
Product complexity Product complexity is the level of diffi-
culty associated with the production of a component, usually
measured by the estimated total production man-hours re-
quired and difficulty involved with completing the tasks in
series or parallel operations. There is a difference between
lower value-added and non-value-added tasks that can be seen
in VSM for a complex product. In this case, details about the
process are needed to identify non-value-adding activities
[64]. According to Fernandes [23], the word “complex” can
be used to describe the level of difficulty associated with the
manufacture or assemblage of a part. Complexity is a “sub-
jective difficulty” used to describe the context of the repre-
sentation within the manufacturing of complex products, com-
plex processes, complex assemblies, the entire complexity of a
production system, and the combination of all these elements.
Identifying a complex product requires measuring the number
of parts that compose the product, the number of process
steps, the part size, the quantity required to complete the task
efficiently, the number of subsystems involved, and other
factors [23]. The increase in product or process complexity
increases the difficulty in obtaining data for VSM preparation
[4–6, 23, 24, 36, 37, 50, 52, 56, 59, 64].
Product and process obsolescence One LM principle is con-
tinuous improvement. According to Shingo [69], improve-
ments in production systems are likely to be constructed from
two points—new ideas and rethinking of the basic ones. The
Toyota model is a cyclical process of achieving stability,
standardization of practices, and placing continuous pressure
on the process to expose its obstacles [47]. Martins and
Laugeni [49] highlight the importance of continuous improve-
ment, where no day can pass without the company doing
better in the market. VSM plays a key role in mapping a
process, identifying wastes, and making improvements. How-
ever, many companies fail to apply the tool in time intervals
compatible with the changes of products and processes. The
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mapping, which should be repeated often, takes time to be Last, but not least, the third category of possible causes is
completed. The big problem with this practice is that with related to “people”, which may reflect a lack of training,
product lifecycles becoming shorter and shorter, information turnover, and absenteeism.
collected soon becomes obsolete because the production sys- The problems were identified and classified by 13 possible
tem needs to adapt to the market and customer changes [4, 5, causes. Some of the problems identified may have the same
12, 23, 51, 64, 65]. cause, and a problem can have more than one cause. Problem
P11 (others) was not placed within this classification because
it is too general. The causes of problems related to products
were as follows:
3 VSM application guidelines
Product too Companies that have products with a
complex large number of systems,
In this section, we suggest guidelines for a successful imple-
subsystems, and components, which
mentation of VSM current state planning and construction.
are assembled in series and parallel
The guidelines were constructed from the analysis of the
and which are transported to many
causes of problems listed in Section 2. The causes were
places in a factory until the end of
classified into three categories, namely products, processes,
the production line;
and people (Table 2).
Inappropriate Product projects that don’t use
The “product” category considered the causes related to
product project appropriately preventive techniques and
product design, its complexity (a high number of components
tools to evaluate the assembly process;
and parts, many kinds of materials, many links and subassem-
Market changes markets with varying demand and model
blies), and causes related to instable demand for a product.
types to be produced, mainly related to
“Process” causes are related to a lack of stability and
markets that require constant portfolio
standardization, i.e., problems with flow definition and docu-
renewal.
mentation. Sometimes, the way the company is organized is
also the cause of communication problems, lack of concurrent
The causes of problems related to process were as follows:
engineering, and an integrated staff. When introducing a lean
approach, it is desirable that the structure is not departmental, Lack of process definition andUndocumented process,
but weak, balanced, or strong matrix. An inadequate layout is documentation performed tacitly;
also a possible cause of problems, because it is associated with Company departmental Companies without good
handling and transportation wastes. Companies that began organizational structure communication between areas,
small and grow tend to increase their physical structures in with strong and competitive
an unplanned way, hindering the understanding of processes, hierarchies;
continuous flow, measurement, and inducing the operator to Inadequate layout Layout made without
act intuitively. Unbalanced processes are another cause of planning, because of physical
problems in the process category. In common practice, each constraints of a building and/or
production stage has different production rates and cycle inventories. Process project is
times, with automated or manual processes, or processes that inappropriate for producing the
need constant maintenance. When different versions of soft- product;
ware affect the speed in providing data exchange between Unbalanced processes Processes with differences
sectors or with a supplier, the possible cause is defined as a between cycle times and takt
low integration of information and communication technolo- times, processes that use
gy (ICT). Manufacturing can also suffer from a lack of stan- automated machines with
dardization caused by a change in sales, which are caused highly productive processes
mainly by the variability and number of models sold and together with manual
unexpected demand. The lack of continuous flow is a operations with low
process-caused subitem, because all seven forms of produc- productivity;
tion waste (overproduction, inventory, waiting, transportation, Low integration of Departmental enterprises that
handling, defective products, and unnecessary processes) im- information technology use different and disconnected
pede process clarity, stability, and measurements. Another between areas information systems and
problem can be inadequate tools, as in cases where a product software;
is good and the personnel know how to produce it, but the Lack of process stability Processes with large variations
required tools are not available or are not suitable for each in assembly time and quality
production station. problems;
Table 2 VSM relationship problems versus causes

Possible causes

Products Process People

Very Product Changing Lack of definition Company’s Layout Unbalanced Low Processes Lack of Inadequate Lack of Staff
complex design market and documentation organizational inadequate process integration with high continuous tool staff turnover
product inappropriate of the process structure between the variability flow training
departmental IT sectors

Problems Low/no integration P1 x x x x x x x x

between processes
Low/lack of clarity in the P2 x x x x x x x
processes
Low/lack of modularity P3 x x x x x
in processes
Low-skilled people P4 x x
Low/lack of stability of P5 x x x x x x x
processes
Problems/difficulties to P6 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
measure processes
Author's personal copy

Obsolescence of the P7 x x x x x x x x X
current state map
Small batches (high P8 x x
product mix)
Very flexible production P9 x
Very intuitive process P10 x x x x x x x x x x x x x
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Table 3 VSM early stage guidelines

Possible causes of problems Guideline

related to the following:

Product Make an assessment of the life cycle of products. Products with declining demand tend to be discontinued soon. Perhaps
the product is not suitable for representing clusters in families.
Group products into families at companies with many kinds of products and choose one product for which VSM will be
conducted. Do the VSM for various products in the same family to assess whether the grouping was done properly.
Prioritize products in the “A” category (ABC classification) for implementation of the VSM. Elimination of losses in this
type of product will represent higher profits.
Process Make VSM into stable processes. When you do not know if the process is stable, repeat the mapping of the current state
and compare the values to identify if the process is stable or not. When you are sure of stability, construct the future
state map.
Produce the VSM implementation plan with all sectors involved to eliminate barriers to communication and
information.
Establish values for processes not yet defined and establish forms of control. Assess the stability and, if the process is
stable, map the current and future states.
Establish methods and tools to measure data in the process that can be reproduced by others at another time.
People Assess the skills and abilities of those involved with the VSM process. Empower the people if necessary before using the
VSM tool.
Evaluate the turnover of people involved with the process to be evaluated. If there is excessive turnover, repeat the
current state mapping more often and assess the reliability and reproducibility of the processes.
Determine if the VSM tool is a stand-alone tool or if the company is part of the management system, integrating the
strategic, tactical, and operational levels. Isolated applications tend to be less successful.

Lack of continuous flow Processes that have long lead to bad decisions, both technically and financially.
waiting times; Therefore, many interesting opportunities exist for mak-
Inappropriate tools Processes that use obsolete or ing more rational use of the VSM tool and thus provide
incorrect measuring tools more reliable results.
and instruments. There are opportunities to develop technologies to assist in
The causes of problems related to people were as follows: the measurement of data to obtain current state maps. Other
engineering areas are well developed in the use of standards,
Lack of people training Companies that don’t have good
equipment, and traceability of measurement procedures, but
programs to train and teach the
industrial engineering requires some attention to collecting
staff;
data about production. With ICT costs decreasing, the tech-
Staff turnover Environment where there is
nologies for measuring distances in real time are becoming
excessive turnover of people
more viable. These technologies can improve data reliability
indicating a lack of commitment.
and lead to better decisions in defining future maps. They may
From this analysis, we developed guidelines for building also help to normalize and standardize the data process mea-
VSMs (Table 3). surement, by reproducibility and repeatability evaluation to
These guidelines help in the early stages of VSM, espe- build processes maps. Companies with various factories can
cially in the planning stage and establishing the current state assess and compare performance differences at different in-
map, when it is necessary to decide what product will be dustrial plants that assemble the same types of products.
mapped, what data will be collected, and how it will be The time spent to obtain data for the construction of the
collected to minimize problems. current state map also compromises the continuous use of the
VSM tool. Facilitating the production data measurement pro-
4 Conclusion cess can create opportunities for applying VSM frequently,
making the tool more useful in continuous improvement
It is undeniable that the application of VSM provides processes (kaizen). The continuous data measurements can
important benefits to the productive process [1, 17, 23, lead to the adoption of statistical methods for monitoring
39, 47, 64, 83]. That is why it is a practice applied at process performances and the results of future state maps.
so many companies and studied at several universities VSM is currently used to identify wastes in processes and
and research centers. Even with all its benefits, when make improvements. There are increasing opportunities in the
mistakenly applied, VSM can generate poor results that realm of remanufacturing and ecodesign that can also allow
 Author's personal copy
using VSM for identifying environmental wastes arising from
inadequate process flow.
This paper sought to identify problems concerning VSM
implementation, investigate the possible causes and define
guidelines to make its execution less complex, and have a
greater chance of success. The paper identified future oppor-
tunities for VSM implementation, especially with regard to
increased productivity and reliability of this lean tool. In terms
of problem identification, the biggest difficulty was in under-
standing and classifying problems identified in the studies
researched, because they were not always clearly presented.
Many authors described the importance of the tool and
discussed its results; but only a few authors discussed diffi-
culties in executing VSM. The identification of problems and
difficulties in studies is an experience that can help to deter-
mine what went right and what benefits were obtained from
each study.
Acknowledgments We are grateful for the financial support by the
funding and research agency from Brazil—CAPES (Coordenação de
Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior).
The authors would also like to thank the reviewers and translator
Jeffrey Hoff, native of New York City.
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