Application - Visualization

Challenge

The problem we were facing was to digitize the process of order tracking and delivery for  the MTO type of customers’ orders which involved multiple stakeholders ranging from sales  & marketing, customer service team, SCM team, plant operations, finance, quality and  logistics team for our home textile business in which there are more than 100 orders which  are open at a single point of time and tracking each orders within customer  required/committed timeline manually becomes a challenge.

Selection

The tool selected to identify the problem and map the entire process and value chain was a  visualization technique of value stream mapping. Since a very large number of stakeholders  were involved in the process from different departments and locations, we decided that the  best way to bring everyone in the same page and for a common understanding was a  visualization tool.

Application

Then interviews were carried out with all the stakeholders differently and a value stream  was prepared capturing the flow of information, stakeholders involved, requirement and  output/value addition from that process. Once a draft value stream mapping was done we  conducted a workshop with all the stakeholders’ representative and show cased the  mapping. Discussed with all to identify the redundant steps in the process, duplication of  work and effort and areas which can be automated for the seamless information flow and  visibility of the orders. Then we finalized the new To Be process mapping through the  visualization method of value stream mapping.

Insight

In carrying out this exercise we were able to identify the duplication of work and effort in  the entire value chain and were able to reduce the process lead time by 20% from the  current 40 days to 32 days. In the journey through bringing everyone in a single page  through the visualization technique of process mapping and value stream mapping, the buy- in from the stakeholders were also fast and easier. We developed a new module like a ticket  management system for the order tracking in which we mapped all the department and  their spocs and defined a mutually agreed timeline for completion of the tasks with all the  stakeholders.

Approach

After completing this project when I look back, I think I could have further improved the  usage of my visualization tool in the form of conducting 2 workshops. First one at the time  of defining the problem statement and capturing the as is process in a one day or a half day  workshop rather than individual interviews and then next workshop to delve into the  feedback and brainstorming for the solution of the problem and arriving at the TO BE  desired state through a visualization tool.

