Author: Alpha Ziman, PMP, PBA 
The PMI Switzerland Chapter was delighted to welcome Antonio Morisco, Program Manager at Swissquote, to the Agile Community of Practice event. At this event, hosted by Swissquote on June 27th, Antonio delivered insights on Value Stream Management (VSM). As organisations pursue greater efficiency in their agile transformations, the understanding and optimisation of value streams is crucial. Antonio's expertise and practical insights offered attendees a solid foundation to apply VSM in their own contexts.
What is Value Stream Management (VSM)?
Value Stream Management is a lean business practice, focused on the improvement of the flow of value to customers, through the management and optimisation of the sequence of activities involved in producing a product, or delivering a service. Examination of an entire lifecycle (from concept to delivery), through the lens of VSM, assists organisations in the elimination of waste, enhancement of efficiency, and ensures that every step in the process adds value.
Key takeaways from Antonio Morisco's presentation:
- Holistic View of Value Streams - Antonio emphasised the need to view value streams as end-to-end processes that cross departmental boundaries. He also highlighted the need to extend from a team-level to an organisational level approach to support true agility. Successful implementation of these would ensure alignment with the overall business objectives.
- Identifying and Eliminating Waste - A core principle of VSM is identifying non-value-adding activities, or waste. Antonio shared strategies for identifying inefficiencies and bottlenecks within value streams, which would allow teams to streamline processes, mitigate or eliminate delays, and reduce time-to-market.
- Enhancing Collaboration and Communication - Effective VSM requires transparency across the entire workflow, as well as robust collaboration and communication across all organisational levels. Antonio highlighted tools and techniques that could enhance alignment and coordination between teams, which would foster a culture of continuous improvement.
- Metrics and Measurement - Antonio discussed the importance of metrics in VSM. By tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as 'Cycle time', 'Lead time', and 'Throughput', organisations can benefit from data-driven decisions and quantify the impact of activities.
Conclusion
Antonio Morisco's presentation on Value Stream Management was a significant contribution to the Agile Community of Practice, equipping members with knowledge and tools from Lean, Flow and Theory of Constraints, to support their agile transformations. Through the adoption of VSM principles, organisations can achieve a more streamlined, efficient, and customer-focused delivery process.
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Stay tuned for upcoming events and webinars for more expert insights and knowledge than can be applied in practice, to advance your agile journey.