2018BookofCases

produce, and deliver a good or service to a customer, and it includes the dual flows of information and material. Value Stream Mapping (VSM) – The process of mapping out and visually displaying a value stream so that improvement activity can be effectively planned. VSM is the meta tool that guides all other Lean tools. When we utilise VSM we visualise the current state plus desired future state of a process that take a product or service from its beginning through to the customer. Variance – When an assignment is not completed as stated, it is considered a variance from the weekly work plan. Variance Trend Analysis – This refers to the quantitative investigation of the difference between actual and planned behaviour. This technique is used for determining the cause and degree of difference between the baseline and actual performance and to maintain control over a project. Visual Management – Placing tools, parts, production activities, plans, schedules, measures and performance indicators in plain view. This assures that the status of the system can be understood at a glance by everyone involved and actions taken locally in support of system objectives. Waste – The opposite of value, these are activities/processes that do not directly add/contribute value to customers, and that the customer would not be happy to pay for. The aim of Lean is to reduce and remove waste from processes. Waste Walks – These are a form of direct observation and are simply a planned visit to where work is being performed to observe what's happening and to note the waste. It differs from go-see activities in that you are specifically looking for waste. Weekly Work Plan (WWP) – The commitment-level (will) planning step of LPS ident i fying the promi sed task completions agreed upon by the performers. The WWP is used to determine the success of the planning effort and to determine what factors limit performance. It is a more detailed level than the look-ahead and is the basis of measuring PPC. Weekly Work Planning – The process by which the Last Planner establishes the plan for the coming period. Work Flow – The movement of information and materials through networks of interdependent specialists. Work Structuring – Designing the production system to determine who does what, when, where and how, usually by breaking work into pieces, where pieces will likely be different from one production unit to the next. The purpose of work structur ing i s to promote f low and opt imize system throughput by focusing on handoffs and opportunities for moving smaller batches of work though the production system. Workable Backlog – An activity or assignment that is ready to be performed, but is not assigned to be performed during the active week in the WWP. If the team agrees that performance of this activity will not hinder other work, then it can be placed on the list of Workable Backlog as part of the WWP. Completion or non-completion of these activities are not recorded or counted in calculation of PPC. Work In Process (WIP) – The inventory between the start and end points of a production process. X-Matrix – Used in Hoshin Planning, the X-Matrix is a template used in organisational improvement that concisely visualises on one page (A3) the alignment of an organisation’s True North, its Aspirations, its Strategies, its Tactics, and its Evidence. 80 L EAN C ONSTRUCTION I RELAND A NNUAL B OOK OF C ASES 2018 EDITOR’S NOTE This glossary has been compiled and adapted from a variety of sources, including the LCI USA Glossary of Terms and the Waterford Institute of Technology Lean Lexicon.