An overview of the Dependency Mapping session of a Value Stream Mapping Workshop. The full workshop includes:

  1. Planning
  2. Current State Mapping
  3. Dependency Mapping
  4. Future State Mapping
  5. Improvement Roadmap
  6. Final Presentation
  7. Follow-up Period

Dependency Mapping

  • Discuss which process is the constraint
  • Discuss the main challenges in this process and how they impact the goals
  • Discuss the dependencies involved in the constraint and root causes for the challenges

Session Kickoff

  • Review the current state map
  • Discuss the main challenges and how they relate to the goals
  • Discuss which process is the constraint and what is its impact on the goals

Dependency Mapping

Mapping Process

  • Create a quick sub-value stream map of the constraint process
    • Add the sequence of known steps (we may not know all of them, and might need to clarify with the relevant team later)
    • Estimate wait time for the most problematic spots
  • Discuss direct causes for hotspots. How are internal/external dependencies contribute to the hotspots?
    • Coordination and communication with other teams
    • Technology/budget/capacity/skill set limitations

Dependency Mapping Example

5 Whys

  • Introduce the 5 Whys exercise
    • Emphasize that the focus is on the process, not a person or team
  • For the most problematic spot, ask “5 Whys” to collect a better understanding of the root causes.
    • There will be multiple answers, note them down

Current State Mapping Example

Key Outcomes

The team achieves and demonstrates a collective understanding of:

  • The main contributing factors for our constraints and their impact on the value stream
  • Why the problems are happening

The dependency map is a powerful artifact to align with and request collaboration from other teams in moving towards the improvement goals. It shows the main constraints, their impact in the value stream and their root causes. Together with the project goals and benefits, which are aligned with the company and customer needs, it forms a strong case for collaboration with other teams on overcoming the constraints.

Inspiration

  • This approach is heavily inspired by Steve Pereira and Andrew Davis’s Flow Engineering book.
  • Thank you to Dave Mangot for pointing out that the 5 Whys should be a tree and not a straight line. (The tree allows for multiple contributing factors to be listed out, reflecting the reality in a complex system, as opposed to a straight line that implies simple causality)