My guest for episode #190 is a returning guest (from episode #151), my friend Karen Martin, talking about her (co-authored by Mike Osterling) newly-released book, Value Stream Mapping: How to Visualize Work and Align Leadership for Organizational Transformation. You can order via Amazon and can learn more via Karen's website.

In the episode, we talk about topics including how this book fits with her others, some common struggles that people face when mapping value streams, why it's important for senior leaders to be involved with VSM work, how long mapping should take, the publishing value stream, and the use of VSM in different industries. I hope you enjoy the conversation!

For a link to this episode, refer people to  www.leanblog.org/190.

Here is the endorsement I gave for the book based on my reading of a pre-publication version of the book:

“Value Stream Mapping is a wise and practical guide that will help you lead transformation efforts in your organization. While some think of value stream mapping as a ‘lean tool,' Martin and Osterling rightly emphasize the strategic value of looking at the big picture and improving your entire value stream from suppliers to the customer and all points in between. The book is full of tips and lessons learned to help you avoid mistakes and maximize the results that you get from the time invested into proper value stream mapping.”

You can read the introduction (PDF) or the executive reading guide (PDF) online.

You can also view webinars Karen has done on this topic:

• Value Stream Mapping – Strategy Before Tactics

You can also sign up for a new webinar being done tomorrow, Jan 7 2014: Value Stream Analysis: Beyond the Mechanics – Part 1 (Planning)

For earlier episodes of my podcast, visit the main Podcast page, which includes information on how to  subscribe via RSS  or via Apple Podcasts.

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