Q. Will eVSM recalculate measures, such as lead time, when I change data in the data boxes of an electronic value-stream map?

A. Yes, just hit the red "eVSM Calculator" button on the toolbar. Earlier versions did not perform calculations, but users with current eVSM licenses received upgrades to the newest version.

Q. Does eVSM link to other sources of information, such as spreadsheets?

A. Yes, eVSM links to Excel spreadsheets by hitting the Calculator button.

Q. Will my data migrate to eVSMV3?

A. Drawings and associated spreadsheets created in eVSMV2 or later version will automatically migrate to eVSMV3. Drawings created in eVSMV1 will also migrate but their associated spreadsheets must be recreated.

Q. LEI have always recommended drawing maps by hand. Does eVSM mean that the institute's position has changed?

A. No. Value-stream mapping is a paper-and-pencil tool that helps us to see and understand the flow of material and information as a product makes its way through a value stream.

There are a lot of benefits to drawing value-stream maps by hand with paper and pencil. Manual mapping requires us to go see what is actually happening in a shop or office value stream. And the process of quickly drawing and redrawing a map acts as a plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle that deepens our understanding of the overall flow of value - or lack of it. There is no substitute for observing value-stream activities in person and drawing maps by hand. Software is not a prerequisite for a mapping effort.

However, there also are benefits to electronic maps. In our web site Forums, members of the Lean Community have pointed out that electronic maps are great for sharing and for presentations. In fact, members have used diverse software programs to create their own electronic renderings of hand-drawn maps. eVSM is a helpful electronic tool that makes sense as a companion to paper-and-pencil mapping.

Q. Who developed eVSM?

A. eVSM was developed on a Microsoft Visio and Microsoft Excel platform by GumshoeKI , a Visual Communications company and Microsoft Visio partner.

Q. What languages does eVSM come in?

A. The software menus and help files are in English. However, because eVSM is based on Microsoft Visio, practitioners can create VSM's in any language that Microsoft Visio supports. In fact eVSM is used in 42 countries today.

Q. Will eVSM work with Visio 2000 and does it require the Visio professional version?

A. No. eVSM requires Visio 2002 (or later) and is not supported on earlier versions of Visio. eVSM works with both standard and professional versions of Visio. You can order new versions of Visio or upgrade from prior releases from sites that sell Microsoft products like http://www.amazon.com . Amazon.com also has an international button to allow you to purchase from the family of global Amazon sites

Q. What are the computer system requirements for eVSM?

A. eVSM is supported on Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP. Both Microsoft Visio 2002 (or later) and Microsoft Excel 97 (or later) are pre-requisites for eVSM.

Q. Do the discounts for purchasing 10 or more copies of eVSM apply to multiple users at one site or can the users be at different sites?

A. It doesn't matter. The seats can be at one site or at different sites. The key is that the seats are licensed in a single purchase. The discount doesn't apply to the cumulative number of seats purchased over time.

Q. Why has the annual license policy changed?

A. The annual licensing model originally used for eVSM had caused concern amongst the lean community. It was designed originally to provide an on-going revenue stream to sustain the development effort at GumshoeKI.

On going revenues from new license sales have proven sufficient to allow GumshoeKI to remove the annual license restriction. With the new policy the eVSM license does not expire for the version that is purchased. Updates to new versions can be purchased at a special update price as they become available.