Many engineers, and black belts too, will immediately jump on a computer and start picking icons and naming data elements perhaps out of habit, maybe confusing quantitative tools with qualitative. Value Stream Mapping is good for describing what we are going to do to affect the numbers we collect. Building databases, multiple future state scenarios, or heaven forbid monthly performance metrics perhaps misses the point of being able to visualize the “what”. All too often folks will get so mesmerized by the technology they loses sight of the group dynamic of discussing the process they are meant to be studying.

Don’t waste your time and money fiddling with a new software application and templates. Just get the right people together physically or virtually, and with some paper, pencils, markers, and sticky notes start sketching and talking. Save the computer for later.