Creating and Using a Shingo-Style Process Map: A quicker path for finding waste and eliminating process problems

Process maps have been a critical part of improvement efforts for decades. Shingo-style process maps are one of the least-used but most valuable improvement tools. They have many advantages over other process mapping approaches: • They can be used on any type of process in any work setting: offices, factories, retail shops, hospitals, schools, labs, etc. • They require little or no data. You just need to know the flow from input to output. • They are effective at showing all the moving parts in a process—information, materials, machines, and people—plus where and how variation gets created. • They allow you to more quickly pick out the three main targets for improvement—waste (especially hidden waste), inconsistencies, and unfairness. And they help you uncover the root causes of these problems quickly. • They can be easily linked to specific changes that will eliminate the identified problems, including all the classic Toyota Production System solutions (work standardization, 1-piece flow, mistake proofing, etc.). • Because of their unique format, a completed Shingo-style process map of an improved process can easily become part of a standard operating procedure format. This book provides the how-to around Shingo-style process maps. You’ll learn how to create the map, what kinds of data or estimates to include, how to clearly mark problem areas, which calculations can help you understand process performance, and how to interpret the map to make quick improvements in your own processes.