We have previously covered the first, second, third, and fourth steps to making your current state value stream map. This brings us to the 5th step of the CSVSM – defining the requirements. Here’s a recap of the steps that I recommend you to follow initially while making your CSVSM:
Figure 1 – Steps to construct a CSVSM
Step 5: Define the Requirements/ Customer Needs
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In this step of your CSVSM, it is crucial to define the customer needs adequately and accurately. Hence, strive to link any improvement goal as benefits to the customer. If a company is doing a great job, it must be felt by the customers in some way or the other. Fill in the specifications, their current state, and desired state from historical data. Therefore, you not only identify the customer but also specify any possible gaps. A ‘gap’ is the:
desired state – current state
To elaborate on Step 5 of making your current state value stream map, here is an example of customer expectations in manufacturing and IT-enabled services:
Table 1 – Understand customer requirements [Manufacturing]
Table 2 – Understand customer requirements [Services]
