Five things I wish I knew before my first value stream map

1. Start with the current state — don't jump to solutions. 2. Walk the process physically before you draw it. 3. Measure wait time, not just cycle time — that's where the gold is. 4. Involve the people who do the work, not just managers. 5. Use templates (like the ones in MapVS) as a starting point, then customise. These lessons saved us weeks of rework on our healthcare patient journey map.