Value Stream Mapping Flashcards
7 cards from real DAC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Value Stream Mapping flashcards as text
What is the key difference between 'lead time' and 'cycle time' in a Value Stream Map?
Answer: Lead time is the total elapsed time from request to delivery; cycle time is the active processing time at a single step
Lead time spans the entire value stream from customer request to fulfillment, while cycle time measures how long one process step takes to complete its work.
When conducting a VSM workshop in a scaled agile environment, a DA coach discovers that three teams share a single deployment pipeline. What waste category does this most represent?
Answer: Waiting and contention for shared resources
Shared constrained resources create contention queues where teams wait for access, representing the 'waiting' waste category in Lean thinking.
Which Lean concept, fundamental to Value Stream Mapping, describes the ideal state where work moves continuously without stoppages or batching?
Answer: One-piece flow
One-piece flow (or single-piece flow) is the ideal where each unit of work moves immediately to the next step, eliminating batch queues and reducing lead time.
A DA coach calculates that a software team's value stream has a 4% process efficiency. What does this mean?
Answer: Only 4% of total lead time is spent on activities that add value to the customer
4% process efficiency means 96% of lead time is consumed by non-value-added activities like waiting, queues, and unnecessary processes.
In a future-state Value Stream Map, a 'supermarket' icon connected to a pull arrow indicates what kind of flow control?
Answer: A controlled inventory buffer where downstream processes pull work when needed
A supermarket buffer with pull arrows implements kanban-style flow control, allowing downstream teams to pull only what they need when they need it.
Which of the following best describes the 'information flow' layer in a Value Stream Map?
Answer: The signals, systems, and communications that trigger and control the movement of work
The information flow layer shows how orders, schedules, and signals (including electronic systems) direct work to flow through the value stream.
When a DAC coach facilitates a future-state VSM design session, what question best guides the team toward a pull-based system?
Answer: Where can downstream demand directly signal upstream processes to produce?
Pull systems are designed by identifying where customer or downstream demand can directly trigger upstream production, replacing push scheduling with real-time signals.