A Value Stream Map is used to specify Value Streams. A Value Stream is defined by a Value Proposition, and the Activities that contribute to that Value Proposition. An Activity can contribute to more than one Value Proposition, and therefore can be contained in multiple Value Streams.
Value Streams are artifacts within business architecture that allow a business to specify the value proposition derived by an external (e.g., customer) or internal stakeholder from an organization. A value stream depicts the stakeholders initiating and involved in the value stream, the stages that create specific value items, and the value proposition derived from the value stream.
The Value Stream is depicted as an end-to-end collection of value-adding activities that create an overall result for a customer, stakeholder, or end-user.
In modeling terms, those value-adding activities are represented by value stream stages, each of which creates and adds incremental stakeholder value items from one stage to the next.
Purpose of Value Streams
Value Streams are a component of the business ecosystem that describe how a stakeholder – often a customer – receives value from an organization. As opposed to many previous attempts at describing stakeholder value, Value Streams take the perspective of the initiating or triggering stakeholder rather than an internal value chain or process perspective. From this outside-in view, Value Streams can be cross-mapped to enabling Business Capabilities that describe what and how, respectively, an organization must do to deliver value to the stakeholder.
With the Value Stream map designer you can edit and visualize which Competencies are used or applied by the Activity Shapes.
Elements in a Value Stream Map can be mapped to elements in structured Business Models and their related Value Propositions, Activities and Competencies. Based on such mapping, elements in structured Business Models can be created and existing ones can be selected for visualization.
Here a screenshot of a Value Stream map
The Value Stream map designer provide also insight in the Value impact of your plan. All Values that are related to the Value proposition or performed Activities can be visualized in the Values tab.