This site is dedicated to exploring and sharing insights into Value Stream Thinking – a discipline that helps organizations understand how value is truly created and delivered. Rooted in Lean Manufacturing principles, Value Stream Thinking has evolved into a powerful approach for enabling focus, flow, and performance in today’s fast-paced world of product development1, Agile, and DevOps.
Our goal is to provide a space for learning, discussion, and continuous improvement – of both the ideas presented here and our collective understanding of this essential topic. Feedback is welcome!

Why Value Stream Thinking?


Why value stream thinking and organizing around value is essential for modern organizations.

Why the Way You Visualize Value Streams Matters

The way you visualize your value streams decides what you see and how you act.

Value Stream Identification (VSI)


An introduction to Value Stream Identification and the power of combining VSI and Organizing Around Value.

How to start with a Single Value Stream


How to begin by selecting, identifying, and setting up your first value stream.

Working with Large and Complex Value Streams


How to build and manage large and complex value streams and landscapes.

The Assembly Line Approach


Whitepaper that explains the „New model for Product Development“ end-to-end.

Assembly Line for Value Stream Identification

How to use the Assembly Line Approach for value stream identification.

Assembly Line for Value Stream Optimization

How to add performance metrics and systematically improve your value stream.

Setting Value Streams up for Organizing Around Value



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Breakout Articles/Special Topics

  • Types of Value Streams – Explaining Operational and Development Value Streams, along with other common types and distinctions.
  • Value Stream Thinking – Definition and Positioning
  • Variant Management and its Strategic implications – Exploring how variant management impacts complexity, value delivery, and long-term strategy.

Articles in the Backlog (no specific order)

  • A semi-fictional case study – A composite case study based on multiple real-world examples, designed for teaching purposes.
  • Value Stream Management – Clarifying the term and its connection to Value Stream Optimization.
  • Assembly Line: Idea to Backlog & Delivery to Realization – Exploring how the Assembly Line Model supports both early ideation and post-delivery value realization.
  • The Value Stream Canvas Explained – A practical guide to using the Value Stream Canvas to model and analyze development flows.
  • Value Stream Thinking: Executive Briefing – A concise overview of value stream thinking tailored for executive audiences.
  • Issues & Findings List: Deep Dive – Understanding how to capture, structure, and use issues and findings throughout the identification process.
  • Value Stream History – A look back at the evolution of value stream concepts and how they shaped today’s practices.
  • Portfolio Management and Value Streams – Exploring how value stream thinking influences and integrates with the portfolio-level.
  • Lean and Agile: How Are They Related? – Examining the shared roots and distinct roles of Lean and Agile in modern organizations.
  • Metrics: Deep Dive – An in-depth look at metrics for tracking, managing, and optimizing value stream performance.
  • AI and Value Streams – Investigating how artificial intelligence can support or reshape value stream practices.

Notes & References

  1. Our focus is on Development Value Streams, as we see a clear need to adapt traditional value stream thinking to the specific challenges and dynamics of modern product development. ↩︎