Application of Value Stream Mapping in Supply Chain: A Case Study on an Amazon Retail

Abstract

This study investigates the application of value stream mapping (VSM) in the supply chain of an e-commerce retailer on Amazon to reduce waste and improve customer satisfaction. By visualizing the entire supply chain with VSM, the waste was identified in the delivery process from the retailer to the customer. The five-Whys method was then applied to find the root cause of the waste. Furthermore. a scoring method was developed to evaluate and compare the pros and cons offered by two supply chain operation models to identify an improvement strategy. It was demonstrated in the study that the VSM together with five-whys analysis helps to improve the quality of supply chain management, reduce lead time, and improve customers' satisfaction effectively.