Early in the Lean journey (or any other continuous improvement journey that is
just adopting the concept of Value Stream Mapping), it is important that a Value
Stream Manager be assigned to each value stream. This manager is responsiblefor monitoring the value stream—in other words, looking for changes in the process
and/or communication flow.
The Value Stream Manager does not have to be a manager in the organization.
For that matter, this position does not even need to be filled by a supervisor.
Equally important, this assignment should never be anything remotely resembling
a full-time position, because it typically takes less than 5% of the employee’s time
each week. The job of Value Stream Manager can be performed by any employee
who is respected by both his or her peers and management and who has a working
knowledge of both Value Stream Mapping and the changes that have been implemented.
Using the Value Stream Maps and having metrics in place to monitor the
activity of the process, the Value Stream Manager can use these existing control
mechanisms to look for adverse changes in the process. Because the role is to
monitor the value stream for adverse changes and to bring the correct people into a
meeting, it does not require a member of the management team to fulfill this role.
The Value Stream Manager must be respected by employees within the value
stream and must understand the flow as it is documented or changed to date. The
Value Stream Manager must have direct access to a member of the management
team who can call a meeting of the right personnel to discuss changes in the process.
This requires an open-door policy that allows employees in such a position
to bypass any formal chain-of-command policy and talk directly to the decision
maker who can call a meeting. The Value Stream Manager does not need to have
the power to run a meeting, only the responsibility and accountability to ask for
a meeting when necessary. Figure 19.1 summarizes the role and responsibilities of
the Value Stream Manager.