Application of value stream mapping (VSM) in gear manufacturing process: A case study

Since the end of 20th century, Lean Manufacturing has been recognized as an important approach in competitive industrial environments to improving productivity by reducing process cycle time. To remain competitive in the market, organizations are compelled to find new domains for improvements in order to reduce production lead time and to smooth the flow of processes. The current research aims at designing efficient future VSM to improve productivity by reducing process cycle time and waste in a gear manufacturing process in an automotive industry. The approach was based on mapping the current state of the process to identify the non-value-added activities and also for opportunities for improvement in value added activities. Kaizen events are the main metrics for improvement in the current process by integrating it with the future value stream map. This study concluded that the designed future value stream map helps effectively in identifying the wasteful activities i.e. distance travelled and inventory at different workstations. VSM integrated with Kaizen proves itself a useful approach in achieving continuous process improvement.