Value stream mapping makes the steps in delivering value visible so people can find where work gets stuck. A map of new product or feature delivery can highlight bottlenecks in prioritization, code review, or testing. It can also make an obstacle to a business objective concrete enough to discuss in a modernization strategy. section 16.1.1
Use the map as a starting point for collaborative investigation:
- Ask teams where their current boundaries lie and how those boundaries were chosen, without assuming a solution. section 15.2
- When a constraint emerges, ask what it would take to change it. Let the teams identify possible improvements. section 15.2
- Pair the map with employee accounts so an accurate but abstract picture of delay has a human consequence. section 16.1.1
From delay to a modernization question
A request to add two text boxes to improve SEO remained undone after six months. A delivery map can show the steps and bottlenecks behind such a delay; the requester’s account makes clear why the delay matters. section 16.1.1
Figure 15.2 Partial view of the customer self-fulfillment of an internet broadband package operational value stream
A partial operational value stream for customer self-fulfillment of an internet broadband package offers a concrete flow for discussing team boundaries and improvement. section 15.2
