Resources / Value stream map template
Free Excel template
Free value stream map (VSM) template for Excel
A table of process steps with formulas for lead time, process time and process cycle efficiency, the same table filled with a worked example, and short instructions. It gives you the numbers of a value stream map before anyone draws it.
In short
A value stream map template records, for each step a unit of work goes through, how long it is worked on and how long it waits. Adding both gives the lead time; dividing process time by lead time gives the process cycle efficiency (PCE).
value-stream-map-template.xlsx
Works in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice. No sign-up.
What is in the file
- —“Template” sheet: columns Step, Process time, Waiting time, Operators and Inventory, with bordered empty rows.
- —Formulas calculate the total lead time, the total process time and the PCE as you fill in the rows.
- —“Example” sheet: the same table filled in for a plant that wants new operators to reach standard output sooner.
- —“How to use” sheet: the steps to complete it, in short. It is a table of steps, not a drawn map.
How to use it
- 1Choose one unit of work and follow it. One product, order or person, from the first trigger to delivery. One row per step.
- 2Record process time and waiting time. Use the same time unit in every row. Measure the waiting on the floor; it is where most of the lead time usually hides.
- 3Add operators and inventory where they apply. How many people work at the step and how many units wait before it.
- 4Read the totals and the PCE. The formulas give the lead time and the PCE. Circle the longest waits: they are the candidates for the future state.
Frequently asked questions
Why a table and not a drawn map?
The numbers are what the analysis rests on, and a table keeps them easy to measure, update and add up. The drawing can be built from the table on a whiteboard or in a diagram tool.
How is the PCE calculated?
Total process time divided by total lead time. A low PCE means most of the lead time is waiting rather than work.
Excel or a dedicated tool?
For a single project, a spreadsheet does the job well. When several projects run at once, LeanOS — a web app for DMAIC projects — keeps each charter, its KPIs and its actions linked, with a portfolio view across projects, and its free plan covers one project.
Run the whole project in one place
Charter, SIPOC, KPIs, causes, actions and control plan linked, with an AI copilot that drafts the first version.
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