Value Stream Mapping for Operational Excellence

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to do a case study of how value stream mapping (VSM) contributes to operational excellence within an ICT company. To illustrate this, a case study was conducted at Swisscom, a large Swiss telecommunications company. The motivation of the study was to contribute to research within the industry of information and communication technologies (ICT) and secondly, to highlight key aspects for successful application of VSM in a real life context. The research is based on a single case study of the VSM-processes conducted at Swisscom’s team of Lean Management and Continuous Improvement Processes (LMI). The study uses triangulation and the findings are therefore based on observations of VSM processes, interviews with the LMI Lean managers and internal documents of Swisscom’s methodology of VSM. The study revealed four dominating themes that were present through all VSM stages. First of all, the study confirms the strength of VSM as a visualization tool. It also highlights the importance of enabling participant’s ownership throughout the process. Furthermore, it highlights the integration of lean thinking throughout the organization and by this, challenge the concept of VSM being used as merely a tool. At last, LMI’s continuous support and lean enabling function was visible throughout the whole case study and Swisscom’s focus on encouraging continuous improvement throughout the organization. The case study is limited in looking at a single case study within an ICT company. The authors therefore encourage future studies about the application of VSM within the ICT industry. Furthermore, due to the study’s time constraints, the authors recommend long term studies to investigate the continuous improvement initiatives and its’ organizational effects. The authors also suggest future studies about value stream as a mindset within the ICT industry.