Value Stream Mapping
Value Stream Mapping tools can be accessed via the VSM Symbols button on the FlowBreeze toolbar. In addition to the VSM symbols, FlowBreeze also features a VSM Template Generator, which is covered here.
Accessing the Value Stream Mapping Symbols
Clicking the VSM Symbols button opens the Value Stream Mapping Symbols dialog. To add a VSM symbol to the worksheet, follow these steps:
- Select the worksheet cell where you want the symbol to be placed. For Value Added-Time and Non Value-Added Time blocks, the selection can span multiple cells.
- Click on the symbol to add.
- If there are any Options associated with the symbol, enter them as needed.
- Click the Add Symbol button on the dialog.
Notes:
- If a symbol has no Options associated with it, you can simply double-click the icon to add it to the worksheet.
- The symbol text font is set in the Settings screen.
Available symbol set
FlowBreeze features Operations, Inventory, Movement, and Data symbols, as shown in the images below.
Operations Symbols
![vsm-operations-tab](/images/vsm-operations-tab.png)
Inventory Symbols
![vsm-inventory-tab](/images/vsm-inventory-tab.png)
Movement Symbols
![vsm-movement-tab](/images/vsm-movement-tab.png)
Time Data Blocks
![vsm-data-tab](/images/vsm-data-tab.png)
VSM Symbol options
When you click one of the symbols above, the following options fields are shown based on the symbol type.
- Title and text: Production Control and Process symbols have separate title and text fields.
- Text: numerous shapes allow you to add text.
- Angle: You can preset the angle for arrows. Clicking the angle selector will snap to 45 degree increments, and dragging the selector will snap to 5 degree increments.
- Data table size: set the number of rows in the data table.
- Pull arrow direction: set the direction to left-to-right or right-to-left.
Clear Formatting: The timelines and data tables are created by formatting cells with borders and shading. As the name implies, the Clear Formatting button clears the borders and shading.