Automated Value Stream Mapping for Real-Time Process Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Complex business processes, such as software development, often suffer from inefficiencies due to work items waiting in queues, incomplete data, and excessive load, leading to delays and increased costs, as existing tracking methods fail to provide real-time metrics and accurate analysis.
Innovation Solution
A method for automated value stream mapping and management using computing devices that correlate work item status changes with process-blocks in a linear process, generating real-time metrics and graphical timelines to visualize and optimize business processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual approaches to value stream mapping are used, then flexibility in analysis is maintained, but real-time tracking and measurement precision are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated value stream mapping system that acts as an intermediary between raw process data and analytical insights. This system automatically collects data from multiple sources, maps value streams, and generates metrics without requiring manual intervention, thereby achieving real-time precision while managing complexity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical approaches to value stream mapping with automated computer-based systems. Instead of manually collecting and analyzing data, the system uses automated data collection, processing, and visualization tools to achieve real-time measurement precision and eliminate human error in the mapping process.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive data collection from multiple systems is implemented, then measurement completeness is improved, but data integration complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal value stream mapping system that can collect and process data from multiple different sources and systems through a single integrated platform. This multi-functional system handles various data types and formats uniformly, ensuring complete information capture while managing integration complexity through standardized processing routines.
3Loss of time
If real-time metrics are generated for all process-blocks, then process visibility is improved, but computational load and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the value stream into discrete process-blocks and stages, allowing for targeted real-time metric generation only where needed. This segmentation enables the system to focus computational resources on critical measurement points rather than processing all data uniformly, reducing overall computational load while maintaining real-time visibility at key decision points.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and computing devices are disclosed that obtains and stores a mapping of status values to process-blocks within stages associated with a linear process performed on an enterprise application network. A work item status in change records of the database is correlated with the status values based on the mapping to identify one of the stages for work items. Event records are then generated based on the correlation, activity records of the database, and another correlation of a unique identifier of one of the work items in each of the change and activity records. A generated value stream map (VSM) is then output for display that comprises a graphical timeline of activity associated with the linear process and metrics generated based on the event records and comprising real-time metrics for the process-blocks or stages and aggregate metrics for the linear process.