Value Stream Improvement is a methodology that applies the scientific approach to problem solving known as the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle to the entire value stream of a process. This approach combines the technical and cultural aspects essential to successfully implementing and sustaining positive change.

The PDCA cycle is translated into three distinct project phases:

1. Plan phase: The leadership team defines the overarching need and impact of a project. This involves determining the scope of the value stream.
2. Doing Phase (The Workshop): A special team of all stakeholders comes together in an intensive three-day workshop. Together they map the current process with a Value Stream Map, identify bottlenecks and brainstorm countermeasures, which they visualize in a Future State Map.
3. Check and Act phase (Implementation): During the 60 to 120 days that follow, the team tests the proposed countermeasures through rapid learning experiments. The results are checked and, where necessary, the process is adjusted. This approach of "countermeasures" rather than fixed "solutions" creates a mindset of constant improvement.

This methodology not only creates tangible improvements in the value stream, but also leads to the development of a process performance management system, which lays a foundation for a culture of continuous improvement.

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