DMAIC-based approach to sustainable value stream mapping: towards a sustainable manufacturing system

The research for this article was built upon the discussion concerning sustainable value stream mapping (Sus-VSM), which had recently emerged towards advancing sustainable manufacturing systems. Research on this sustainable-oriented lean tool has been confined to only a handful of studies only. Specifically, the lack of a continuous improvement process, where subsequent value stream developmental maps can be established to continue the cycle, is highlighted as a notable shortfall of this application. To fill the gap, this paper proposes a methodological approach, based on the DMAIC improvement cycle, to systematically implement and conduct Sus-VSM studies. The proposed methodology is practically validated with an industrial case to support this narrow body of knowledge. The research findings revealed that a DMAIC-based approach can be effectively applied to systematize the Sus-VSM towards sustainable manufacturing. The paper also provides a guiding reference for operations managers who wish to undertake similar improvement projects and make their manufacturing operations more sustainable, and, hopefully, inspire other researchers and practitioners to broaden the study of this under-researched field, which is now receiving growing interest in various industries.