Service Value Stream Management (SVSM): Developing Lean Thinking in the Service Industry

Andrea Bonaccorsi, Gionata Carmignani, Francesco Zammori

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DOI: 10.4236/jssm.2011.44048                

Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive lean approach, based on Value Stream Management (VSM), which makes it possi- ble to enhance the performance of a service, by spotting and tackling its criticalities. The study is motivated by the growing need to extend lean concepts to the service industry and, on the other hand, by a lack of operating tools capa- ble to support technical staff in this effort. Specifically, to tailor VSM to the specific requirements of pure services, sub- stantial modifications were made: 1) for a detailed map of the process new icons were created, 2) most of the lean approaches were adapted/modified and 3) concepts such as Takt-Time and Pitch have been redefined in a more suitable way. To validate the approach, an application concerning an enrolment process is presented. Results demonstrate the quality of the approach and confirm the significant improvements that can be obtained with the application of lean thinking to the service context.

Keywords

Lean Thinking, Value Stream Management, Service Industry

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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