Value Stream Mapping and Process Indicators Supporting Sustainable Development in Organizations – A Systematic Literature Review

The concept of sustainable development (SD) is gaining more recognition and the chosen SD goals are being implemented in enterprises. Until recently, organizations focused mainly on the economic aspect. Currently enterprises, when determining strategy, performing risk assessment and mapping processes using the VSM (Value Stream Mapping) tool, are increasingly making efforts to incorporate both ecological and social aspects. When defining their mission, vision and goals, enterprises cannot forget to specify indicators which act as a key signpost to business development. The indicator setting is based on SMART methodology and only sporadically is there a reference to SD goals. For monitoring purposes and in order to react quickly enough to process disruptions, enterprises are encouraged to collect data automatically. This will lead to lower level of defective products which have negative impact not only on the environmental but also on the economic aspect. In practice, many articles have been published on VSM and the impact of indicators on aspects of SD. The systematic review of the literature, which was carried out in this paper, confirms that the authors sought evidence of what indicators support SD. The systematic review of the literature performed according to the established research methodology, includes identification of research questions, identification of keywords, selection and exclusion criteria, and analysis of results. The main aim of this article is to obtain information on what indicators are currently in use in enterprises, and then to link them with the SD aspect. The collected input data will be used to develop a model for assessment of the impact of enterprise processes on SD. Following a consultation with experts, an attempt will be made to develop a model serving as a tool supporting small and medium sized enterprises.