BE-RP8

BE-RP8

For this research paper, you are required to choose one topic related to global ethics. You will use the Columbia Southern University (CSU) Online Library and/or internet resources to collect information and content. Possible topics for the research paper include:
Child labor
Bribery and corruption
Working standards and conditions
Environmental issues
Outsourcing
After researching your chosen topic, develop your research paper. Be sure to include the following in the paper:
State the chosen topic and explain its significance in reference to the course material.
Summarize the authors main points of the topic.
Assess what makes this topic significant and what is at stake.
Explain methods that could possibly resolve issues regarding the topic.
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Write at least two double-spaced pages, excluding title and reference pages. You are required to use at least one outside source. Adhere to APA Style when constructing this assignment, including in-text citations, introduction, and references for all sources that are used. Please note that no abstract is needed. PHI 6301, Business Ethics 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VIII

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

6. Evaluate global ethical issues in business.
6.1 Assess one topic in global business ethics.
6.2 Determine a solution for an issue in global ethics.

Course/Unit

Learning Outcomes Learning Activity

6.1, 6.2

Unit Lesson
Chapter 12
Article: The Politics of Global Production: Apple, Foxconn, and Chinas New

Working Class
Article: Sweatshops, Structural Injustice, and the Wrong of Exploitation: Why

Multinational Corporations Have Positive Duties to the Global Poor
Unit VIII Research Paper

Required Unit Resources

Chapter 12: International Business and Globalization

In order to access the following resources, click the links below.

Chan, J., Pun, N., & Selden, M. (2013, July). The politics of global production: Apple, Foxconn and Chinas

new working class. New Technology, Work and Employment, 28(2), 100115.
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire
ct=true&db=bsu&AN=89149713&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Berkey, B. (2021, April). Sweatshops, structural injustice, and the wrong of exploitation: Why multinational

corporations have positive duties to the global poor. Journal of Business Ethics, 169(1), 4356.
https://libraryresources.columbiasouthern.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?dire
ct=true&db=bsu&AN=150472168&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Unit Lesson

There will be a short discussion on the history of globalization in this lesson and how it relates to business
ethics. We will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of globalization. Finally, some of the most
pressing contemporary issues facing business ethics in the global arena today will be identified.

The beginning of globalization can be traced back to the old Silk Road that flourished between 130 B.C. and
1453 A.D. It is during this time the early beginnings of globalization can be traced from East to West (Sarwar,
2017). Some may wonder why a discussion about the Silk Road is important today; there are many ways the
world has changed since that time. Technological innovations and advances, increasing digitalization, and the
rate of modern globalization progressively continues to move at a faster rate.

The Silk Road was a series of trade routes beginning in China extending to Persia, then to Central Asia, and
finally to Europe. The Silk Road was recognized as an economic corridor and a place to purchase spices and
silk and is an appropriate place to begin this lesson because its origin lies in the ancient Chinese city of Xian
located in North-Central China (Britannica, n.d.). Today, China has increasingly become one of the most
dominating world economic powers and is expected to overtake the United States as an economic

UNIT VIII STUDY GUIDE
Pressing Global Business, Issues,
and Its Ethical Implications

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PHI 6301, Business Ethics 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

powerhouse by the year 2028 (Chinese Economy, 2020). The world may in fact be witnessing the
renaissance of the Silk Road.

Although the author of the textbook raises a question about the definition of globalization, this term should be
explained more thoroughly. According to Melina Kolb (2018), assistant vice president for digital
communications at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, globalization can be thought of as the
increasing interrelationships and interdependence of peoples, cultures, and economies. The result is
transnational trades of capital investments and assets, services, goods, technologies, and information
services across the world.

Since the beginning of the Silk Road, countries have built interrelationships regarding trade and other areas
with each other over the course of many centuries. However, the contemporary use of the term globalization
came into prominence as a result of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the eventual collapse of the former
Soviet Union (Vanham, 2019). It was about 1995 that the newly created World Trade Organization (WTO)
advocated for all nations to enter into free trade agreements. This included China, which was known to be
somewhat isolated and, at the time, having an agrarian economy. China had also just started engaging in
manufacturing and exporting around the world. As a result of free trade agreements, along with several
additional factors, globalization has increased at a dizzying speed. Today, globalization has entered both the
digital economy and the cyberworld.

Although there are many benefits of globalization and the new ways businesses engage in commerce and
trade, there are also disadvantages.

First, let us examine some benefits of globalization and its relationship to commerce and business. It should
be mentioned that more generally, globalization has benefited many people around the world, putting them
essentially into the global middle class (Vanham, 2019). Yet, there are also additional benefits associated with
globalization, some of which include:

the rise of transborder investments;
increased cooperation amongst countries; and
economic growth, including access to resources, jobs, and labor around the world (Stobierski, 2021).

As intended or unintended consequences, some benefits as described above also aim at the ethical well-
being of human beings. For example, think of how people in some foreign countries have benefited from
higher wages that led to a higher standard of living, which may include better access to health care and
additional benefits.

Now that there has been some idea of the benefits of globalization, there should also be a discussion of the
disadvantages as well. One of the greatest disadvantages of increasing globalization is climate change as a
result of ever-rising greenhouse gas emissions, the razing of forests, and increased pollution (Stobierski,
2021). Of course, just the aforementioned could be cause for alarm regarding the moral implications of global
warming, though there are also additional disadvantages as well that should be mentioned. Some of these
disadvantages include disproportionate growth within and among nations and an increase in competition
amongst and between organizations and workers around the world (Stobierski, 2021).

One emerging area of concern falls under the domain of labor standards across the globe. This includes the
rise of sweatshops in developing countries. Think of companies that outsource employment to a foreign
country as a result of workers willing to be paid lower salaries or wages. Arguments have been made
regarding obligations of fairness as a result of some companies offering lower pay and/or poor working
conditions than the host countries that are hiring the workers. Also, safety protocols are an issue because
there are differences in safety standards among various countries (Ast, 2018).

Another area of concern falls under the domain of human rights. Some companies confront the issue of
operating in countries that have been accused of human rights violations. This issue is reported frequently in
the news today. Not long ago, it was alleged that Google agreed to the Chinese governments request to
censor key words from its search engine such as Dalai Lama or Tiananmen Square and other related persons
and/or forces hostile to the Chinese government (Ast, 2018).

PHI 6301, Business Ethics 3

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

Another area of contention falls under the domain of cultural diversity. International law contains language
that states corporations should respect the values, cultures, social norms, and customs of host countries in
which they operate.

One last area of concern that should be mentioned is the corruption that occurs in many places across the
world with regard to global business interactions. This occurs in many ways, levels, and formats. For
example, corruption may occur through the use of bribes ranging from a few dollars for a low-level
government official to million-dollar bribes for high-ranking government officials. Part of the problem with
respect to this type of corruption is that bribery is not considered morally wrong in some foreign countries
(Ast, 2018). In fact, bribery may be viewed as the norm for business practices in some countries.

References

Ast, F. (2018). The moral dilemmas of global business. In G. Y. Wang (Ed.), Globalization. IntechOpen.

https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.71525

Britannica. (n.d.). Xi’an. In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/place/Xian-China

Chinese economy to overtake US by 2028 due to Covid. (2020, December 26). BBC News.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55454146

Kolb, M. (2018, October 29). What is globalization? And how has the global economy shaped the United

States? Peterson Institute for International Economics.
https://www.piie.com/microsites/globalization/what-is-globalization#Intro-AhF37Q07lb

Sarwar, L. (2017, June). The old silk road and the new silk road: An analysis of the changed discourse. The

Journal of Central Asian Studies, 24(1), 1322. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/old-silk-
road-new-analysis-changed-discourse/docview/2240072666/se-2?accountid=14375

Stobierski, T. (2021, April 1). 6 pros and cons of globalization in business to consider. Business Insights.

https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/pros-and-cons-of-globalization

Vanham, P. (2019, January 17). A brief history of globalization. World Economic Forum Annual Meeting,

Davos-Klosters, Switzerland. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/01/how-globalization-4-0-fits-
into-the-history-of-globalization/

Suggested Unit Resources

In order to access the following resource, click the link below.

The following article discusses and reevaluates the moral authority of global ethical norms, so they are not
merely a reflection of the prevailing hegemonic ideologies and values of Western economic power.

Michaelson, C. (2010, April). Revisiting the global business ethics question. Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(2),

237251.
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PHI 6301, Business Ethics 4

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

Learning Activities (Nongraded)

Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

The following Application Based Assignment activity covers an ethical concern a team was confronted with
during the visit to Vietnam Textiles, Inc.

The nongraded resource below can be found in Blackboard beneath the study guide:

Application Based Assignment: Self-Assessment: Exploring Ethics: Labor Practices in Vietnam.

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VIII
Learning Activity
Required Unit Resources
Unit Lesson

References

Suggested Unit Resources
Learning Activities (Nongraded)

I need a discussion done and a response to two other classmates for my Operational Excellence class

Value Stream Mapping
Read the Course Project overview on pp. 16-17 of the Course Guide. In preparation for Part A, identify a value stream relevant to your organization that needs improvement.Include specific references to this weeks course materials to support your response.

What value does this value stream deliver to the organization or contribute to its competitiveness?
What metrics are currently used (or should be used) to monitor the performance of this value stream?
What do you predict might be some improvement opportunities in this value stream?

Post your initial response by Wednesday, midnight of your time zone, and reply to at least 2 of your classmates’ initial posts by Sunday, midnight of your time zone.
1st person to respond to
Melaine

Good afternoon Professor and class –

What value does this value stream deliver to the organization or contribute to its competitiveness?

Organizations depend on the talent acquisition (or recruitment) value stream to quickly and effectively fill open positions with competent candidates. Top managers, organizational leaders,and HR specialists must be strong advocates in the competitive and innovative business environment of today. Understanding an organizational structure, its components, how they relate with one another, and how those relationships affect the system as a whole is essential for maximizing sustainability, HR efficiency, and organizational success. To start meaningful transformation and provide value to customers through recruitment and talent management, HR leaders identify the value streams and processes throughout HR and the entireorganization.

What metrics are currently used (or should be used) to monitor the performance of this value stream?

A successful recruiting and selection procedure not only meets job needs but also guarantees that the company upholds its dedication to giving its staff and potential hiring candidatesequal opportunity. The firm will be able to hire the top applicants by adhering to such a value streamstrategy. The company can monitor the effectiveness of this value stream by having a clear job description while recruiting. Depending on the knowledge and proximity to the position, creating a job description may be extremely simple or quite challenging. More specialized software and equipment will frequently be needed for jobs in more technical fields like IT or engineering, as may be needed. Finding the best applicants will depend on how well you can communicate such information.

What do you predict might be some improvement opportunities in this value stream?

Recruitment and talent acquisition requires improvements in regard to certain aspects. First, the company has to streamline its hiring process, i.e., application and interview process. The hiring team’s job is made simpleby creating a streamlined application procedure, which also assists inrecruitingthe best individuals. There needs to be a standard framework for each position before anything else. The hiring team will then engage with potential job applicantsto go over aspects of the position. Everybody will benefit from a more productive and efficient application and interviewprocess.
Madhani, P. M. (2018). Enhancing HR competitiveness: a Six Sigma approach. WorldatWork Journal, 27(2), 30-37.
2nd person to respond to
Giri
Dr. Chun and Leaders,
Please find below my discussion post for this week:
Value Stream Mapping lets create a visual map of your critical organizational processes. It can be used to illustrate the links between different stages of a process and the time and volumes involved in each.
The basic idea behind Value Stream Mapping is that if an underlying process is correct, the outcome will be reliable. To get the process right, you have to understand the sequence of activities that provide value to your customers.
VSM enables you to visually map how information and materials flow through all of the activities involved in a process. For example, from when an order is placed to when the product or service is delivered. The starting point is customer needs, where the map shows how and when information is received. The end is when the product or service is delivered to the customer, with the map showing how decision-making and communication processes affect the whole flow.

What value does this value stream deliver to the organization or contribute to its competitiveness?

Apart from recruiting, onboarding is one of the essential jobs that a manager does, and it is one of the main ways in which good managers differentiate themselves from bad ones. Onboarding is not done efficiently and effectively, which is prone to mistakes, waste time, money, and organizational resources, and can hold a team back. This is why managing to onboard effectively is a smart move for managers.
Effective onboarding & streamlining user access reduce turnover and increase productivity, one of the essential activities in a hiring process.
According to (1), Improvement design and implementation meet less resistance when it is based on what is occurring, as opposed to differing perceptions of or opinions about what is occurring (p. 52).
As an IT leader managing corporate systems, my HR stakeholders requested a seamless onboarding experience for workers, hiring managers, HR, and IT Support Teams by enabling Day 1 access (software/hardware), thus minimizing loss of productivity for workers both workers and support teams.

What metrics are currently used (or should be used) to monitor the performance of this value stream?

The objectives and measures of success (metrics) are listed below:

Streamline user provisioning across all business unitsand simplify mergers and acquisitions

MoS1 Legacy process variation normalized
MoS2 Reduce manual administration & Increase automation in provisioning
MoS3 Reduce turnaround time 80% user accessprovisioned in 24 hours

Enhance user experience

MoS1 Complexity of role changes eliminated
MoS2 Provide self-service access request portal
MoS 3 Workforce gets needed system access at the right time

Created Value Stream Map by following these seven steps:

Identify the product or service to map.
Draw the current value stream map.
Assess the current value stream.
Create a “future state” value stream map.
Create a plan to implement the desired state.
Implement the plan.
Review and repeat.

What do you predict might be some improvement opportunities in this value stream?

Before you can lead your team to a better future, you must build consensus about the current state of affairs what is working and what is not working and why the change is needed. Jack Welch (2).
For the VSM process to work, I engaged the right stakeholders and ensured the process kept them on the same page, optimizing value to the end-user.
The improvement opportunities identified are:

Streamline business processes and standardize key data points within Workday (system of record).
Facilitate business processes and technology to provision SEI Shared Services workers by eliminating the use of Legacy Strayer or Legacy Capella in process and technology.
Simplify switching from company to company (business units) and relevant HR updates and provisioning of workers when future acquisitions occur.
Enable ~80% automation of core applications to streamline Day 1 access.
Centralize access controls and reduce/avoid costs

Regards
Giri..
References.

Value Stream Mapping. Karen Martin.
JWI550. Week 2 Lecture Notes.

Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University Confidential and Proprietary information and may not
be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.

JWI 550 (1208) Page 1 of 10

JWI 550: Operational Excellence

Week Two Lecture Notes

JWI 550 (1208) Page 2 of 10

MAPPING AND ANALYZING VALUE STREAMS

What It Means

The mapping and analysis of value streams is an undertaking focused on gaining insight into the current
state of workflow. It includes creating diagrams that show the various steps a product or service
undergoes from request to delivery. The format of the maps should not be overly complex, and they do
not require any specialized software to create. Their purpose is to help management and workers see
the flow of work tasks that are often difficult to visualize, and to analyze that flow from a customer-centric
perspective that is explicitly focused on adding value.

Why It Matters

It aligns stakeholders around a common understanding of the starting point before any
operational change initiatives are undertaken.

It focuses on value as the critical metric of operational excellence and competitive advantage,
and it identifies steps where no value is added and/or waste occurs.

It requires the team to apply quantifiable performance metrics to the current state so that
improvement efforts can be measured and validated.

Before you can lead your team to a
better future, you must build consensus

about the current state of affairs whats
working and what isnt working and why

the change is needed.

Jack Welch

JWI 550 (1208) Page 3 of 10

THE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MANAGERS

Complete the following sentence:

Change is _______________.

A. Exciting
B. Scary
C. Difficult
D. Never-ending
E. All of the Above

You likely picked All of the Above. You could have also added a bunch of other words to the list as well:
Dangerous? Fun? Expensive? Confusing? Stressful? Uncertain? Necessary?

Imagine you are a new manager, or a manager taking over a new team or a new set of responsibilities.
What an exciting opportunity! If you have a good boss, you know what is expected of you and how the
success of your team will be measured. Your transition may be smooth as you take charge of a well-oiled
machine that is operating in tip-top form, or you may be stepping into dysfunctional chaos. The most likely
scenario is somewhere between those two extremes.

But youre ready for the challenge. Youve been doing your homework, and youve got ideas for
improvement lots of ideas. And theyre good ideas. You want to make changes, and you want to do it
now!

You gather the team and start to share your ideas about whats not working and why, and how youve got
a plan to fix it. As you lay out your manifesto, its met with a mixture of silence, eye rolls, and perhaps
even outright hostility. If your organization practices candor, and team members know they can speak
openly and honestly, youre likely to hear people say, You have no idea what we actually do here, or,
Its not our fault that performance isnt what we want it to be; its the fault of [insert name of other team,
unreasonable deadlines, outdated equipment, etc.].

There is often a disconnect between well-meaning managers and front-line workers, even when those
managers have risen through the ranks and bring with them a high level of functional expertise.

So, whos right? You? Them? Neither?

Your chances of leading a successful change initiative to achieve operational excellence increases
dramatically if you, your team, and your fellow change agents can agree on the starting point. If you dont
understand the way everything currently operates, and if stakeholders cant clearly visualize the real flow
of work including where value is added and where it is not you will find yourself in a constant battle to
convince others that the improvements you want to make are the right ones. Further, you will rob
yourself of the benefits of getting every brain in the game, especially the brains of those who are closest
to the work and who know it best.

JWI 550 (1208) Page 4 of 10

YOUR STARTING POINT

1. If you asked members of your team to explain how a certain output is produced, how similar

would their explanations be? Why?

2. If your boss asked you where you and your team contribute the most value to the

products/services the organization delivers to its customers, how would you respond?

3. If your boss asked about where you and your team introduce the most waste in the
products/services the organization delivers to its customers, how would you respond?

4. If you were asked to quantify your answers to either of the previous two questions, could you?

5. How much does your team agree about the strengths and opportunities in the value streams
for which they are responsible? If you dont know, how can you find out?

6. How does the culture of your organization support the willingness and ability of managers and
front-line workers to assess how their value streams perform and to discuss their insights
openly?

JWI 550 (1208) Page 5 of 10

MAPPING THE CURRENT STATE

But I Want to Make Changes Now!

Lets be honest. If youve held a job and experienced frustration with some of the ways work gets done,
youve probably started to formulate ideas about how work could be improved. Some of those ideas may
be great. However, there are at least two realities you must acknowledge:

1. Your ideas may not have fully accounted for the complexity of the work flow in the value stream
and, therefore, may end up fixing the wrong problem.

2. Others may not share your assessment of the current state and may have a different sense of
urgency or explanation for the cause of any shortcomings.

As such, your colleagues may be disinterested in making any change. Worse, they may actively
undermine your change initiatives.

Gaining a deep understanding of current state value stream performance is a vital step in
designing and making improvement. After all, how can you improve work flow if you dont
understand how the work is being performed today? All too often, well-intentioned people rush to
solutions, resulting in short-term fixes and the risk of making matters even worse. Lacking clarity
about the current state or operating with incomplete facts, assumptions, and incorrect information
contributes to persistent and recurring problems.

Value Stream Mapping, p. 51

In our readings last week, the authors introduced the Value Stream Mapping Charter and explained the
importance of aligning and socializing the mapping teams initiatives. It is critical that the journey toward
operational excellence begin with agreement on where you are now. When the current state value
stream map is socialized across the organization and people come together and agree that, yes, this is
how we currently operate, the map has begun to achieve a larger purpose: consensus building to
accelerate improvement (p. 51). Improvement design and implementation meets less resistance when
its based on what is actually occurring, as opposed to differing perceptions of or opinions about what is
occurring (p. 52).

Walking the Value Stream (aka Going to the Gemba)

It may sound obvious, but if you want to learn how about how work gets done, you have to go to the
people who actually do the work.

A critical step in creating the current state map is physically walking the value stream, also
known as going to the gemba. Gemba is a Japanese term that means the real place, where
work is actually done. By going to the gemba, the team is able to observe the work, talk to the
workers in their environment, and learn about obstacles to flow firsthand, thereby grasping the

JWI 550 (1208) Page 6 of 10

current condition more fully. People are typically more comfortable talking with others in their own
environment; being asked to come to a conference room to help a leadership-heavy team
evaluate work flow can evoke understandable anxiety and make them feel like they are on a
witness stand. It is much more effective to go to them.

Value Stream Mapping, p. 56

The authors advise, only by going to the gemba can you appreciate the physical separation and
isolation that may exist between upstream supplier and downstream customer, and observe whether
visual management exists (p. 57).

Sincethe team is primarily composed of leaders, going to the gemba is an effective way to
involve those who best understand what is actually happening within the value stream: the
workers themselves. This inclusion pays significant dividends by spreading organizational
learning, demonstrating leadership engagement, gaining consensus, and showing respect. It
carries other benefits as well. Walking the value stream begins to replace less effective
leadership habits of making decisions from offices with go and see behaviors, which builds
stronger relationships between leadership and the front lines and results in higher quality
decisions.

Value Stream Mapping, p. 58

5 Steps to Mapping the Current State

Martin and Osterling identify five distinct steps in documenting the current state. These can be found
beginning on page 61 of Value Stream Mapping. The summary below is not intended to be
comprehensive, but will highlight key activities and their rationale:

1. First Walk:

The team obtains the most basic information needed to understand the current state.

[The] specific steps needed to generate output are irrelevant at this point. Again, this is what
differentiates a value stream map from a process map. A process map would include all of the
individual actions (steps) required to enter an order, quote a project, administer medication,
perform validation testing, or make an arrest, whereas the value stream map looks at the high-
level activities that transform a request into some sort of deliverable. Remember, too, that the
purpose of value stream mapping is to design a strategic improvement plan that will be executed
over a period of time; its not designed to address problems at a detailed level.

Value Stream Mapping, p. 61

2. Map Layout:

The team agrees on the process blocks that will form the value stream.

[Aim] for 5 to 15 serial process blocks. If you end up with fewer than five process blocks on your

JWI 550 (1208) Page 7 of 10

map, you may not have enough detail to make substantive decisions about the future state.
Having more than 15 serial process blocks is an indication that either your scopes too broad for a
single mapping activity or, more commonly, you are likely inching your way toward a process-
level map and may get tangled up in the tactical weeds rather staying at a strategic level.

Value Stream Mapping, p. 63

3. Second Walk:

This time, the walk is to gain a deeper understanding and identify barriers to flow. This typically
includes three metrics.

a. Process Time the time it takes people to complete the process tasks to transform an
input into an output for one unit of work.

b. Lead Time the elapsed time from the moment work is made available to an individual,
work team, or department until it has been completed and made available to the next
person or team in the value stream.

c. Percent Complete and Accurate (%C&A) the percentage of work that is usable as is
when delivered to the downstream customer.

4. Map Details:

A number of details will be added to the basic map from additional information obtained during
the second walk.

5. Timeline and Map Summary:

As explained previously, a map without metrics is largely useless. The data collected must
document the degree of flow present, the speed at which the organization delivers goods or
services to the customer, and the amount of work effort involved across the value stream. Which
metrics are most critical may vary somewhat by specific application, but Martin and Osterling
identify six they frequently use:

a. Total Lead Time the total time it takes to deliver on a customer request

b. Total Process Time the total work effort required by all functions on the timeline-critical
path of the value stream

c. Activity Ratio the degree of flow in the value stream

d. Rolled Percent Complete and Accurate the compounded effect of the quality of
output across the value stream

e. Total Labor Process Time the collective work effort required by all functions involved
in the value stream, which is used to calculate capacity gains due to reduced process
time in the future state design

f. Total Labor Effort the total human effort (annualized) required to perform the work
within the scope of the value stream being mapped

JWI 550 (1208) Page 8 of 10

Wow! That Was a Lot of Work

It can be tempting to skip mapping the current state since, so far, it has produced exactly zero
improvements. But the operational excellence journey begins with an honest and accurate picture of what
is really going on not what people think is going on, or wish was going on. Remember, this is not about
fault-finding or assigning blame to workers. It is about painting an accurate picture of what is really
happening.

In summary, creating the current state value stream map should be viewed as a discovery
activity the mapping teams role is to unearth the truth about the current state design, its
performance, and the barriers that prevent flow or otherwise hinder performance … [Value]
stream maps serve as visual storyboards that not only clarify how work gets done, but also reveal
problems. Your current state map should reflect as closely as possible how a customer request is
transformed into a good or service and delivered to the customer.

This degree of collective understanding helps reduce resistance to future state design decisions.
While the current state briefing is often sobering, its a helpful psychological space from which to
accept the need for change and generate innovative future state thinking

Value Stream Mapping, pp. 97-98

JWI 550 (1208) Page 9 of 10

SUCCEEDING BEYOND THE COURSE

As you read the materials and participate in class activities, stay focused on the key learning outcomes
for the week and how they can be applied to your job.

Learn how to create a value stream map

Our readings over the last two weeks have explained what a value stream map is and the role
that value stream mapping plays in achieving operational excellence. Use the framework to
reflect on your own workflow. Address the concepts of value stream mapping as you discuss
workflow with others on your team. Help them focus on the bigger questions of how and when
customer value is impacted from request to delivery.

Apply value stream mapping to map end-to-end processes

There is no better way to understand the tools than to start using them. You have an assignment
coming up next week based on mapping an actual value stream in your work. Now is the time to
solidify your choice for the value stream you will select. Start small not so small that the
process is insignificant, but small enough that you can gain meaningful insights into a well-
defined end-to-end process. Attempting to map overly complex, multi-layered processes will
introduce too many inputs and handoffs and will be counterproductive as you learn to use the
tools.

Analyze a value stream for improvement opportunities

After you have mapped your value stream, identify areas where it could be improved. Use your
assignment as a starting point to begin a dialogue with your team. They wont likely understand
all of the technical analysis you did if you just present the numbers, so dont lead with that.
Instead, use the data to tell a story that makes sense to non-technical stakeholders. The ability
to present complex data in a meaningful way is an important skill that all leaders must develop.

JWI 550 (1208) Page 10 of 10

ACTION PLAN

To apply what I have learned this week in my course to my job, I will

Action Item(s)

Resources and Tools Needed (from this course and in my workplace)

Timeline and Milestones

Success Metrics

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