Standard : Value stream maps are used to identify friction in CI/CD, data pipelines, and infrastructure provisioning
Purpose and Strategic Importance
This standard ensures that value stream mapping techniques are applied to visualise and analyse the end-to-end flow of work through CI/CD pipelines, data pipelines, and infrastructure provisioning. Identifying points of friction enables targeted improvements that reduce delays, handoffs, and waste.
It supports the policy “Design for Flow Efficiency” by providing teams and leaders with clear, actionable insights into flow impediments and bottlenecks. Without this, organisations risk inefficient delivery, missed feedback opportunities, and fragmented ownership of process inefficiencies.
Strategic Impact
- Increases transparency of workflow stages and dependencies
- Identifies bottlenecks and manual handoffs that delay value delivery
- Facilitates cross-functional collaboration to remove waste and streamline flow
- Improves prioritisation of pipeline and process improvements
- Enhances ability to measure impact of changes on delivery velocity
Risks of Not Having This Standard
- Process inefficiencies remain hidden or poorly understood
- Delays accumulate unnoticed, slowing time to market
- Siloed teams miss opportunities for end-to-end optimisation
- Manual or duplicated work creates operational overhead
- Inconsistent delivery cadence and quality due to unaddressed friction
CMMI Maturity Model
Level 1 – Initial
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
- Value stream mapping is unknown or used sporadically without structure. |
| Process & Governance |
- No formal practice exists to visualise or analyse delivery flow. |
| Technology & Tools |
- No tooling supports flow analysis or bottleneck identification. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
- Delivery delays and friction points are anecdotal and unmeasured. |
Level 2 – Managed
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
- Teams experiment with mapping key workflows and identifying obvious bottlenecks. |
| Process & Governance |
- Value stream maps exist but are not consistently updated or linked to improvement initiatives. |
| Technology & Tools |
- Basic diagramming or flow analysis tools are used informally. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
- Some lead time and WIP metrics are collected, but insights are limited. |
Level 3 – Defined
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
- Value stream mapping is a regular practice embedded in delivery retrospectives and planning. |
| Process & Governance |
- Maps cover code, data, and infrastructure pipelines end-to-end. |
| Technology & Tools |
- Tooling integrates flow metrics with visual maps for actionable insights. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
- Bottlenecks and waste are tracked; improvement outcomes are measured. |
Level 4 – Quantitatively Managed
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
- Cross-functional teams own value stream maps and collaborate on flow optimisation. |
| Process & Governance |
- Mapping is automated and continuously updated as part of delivery workflows. |
| Technology & Tools |
- Advanced analytics identify emerging friction points and predict flow impact. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
- Flow efficiency KPIs are benchmarked and used to prioritise improvements. |
Level 5 – Optimising
| Category |
Description |
| People & Culture |
- Continuous improvement cycles leverage flow analytics to optimise pipeline design dynamically. |
| Process & Governance |
- Value stream insights drive architectural, organisational, and process evolution. |
| Technology & Tools |
- AI-powered flow analysis anticipates bottlenecks and recommends proactive interventions. |
| Measurement & Metrics |
- Real-time flow health metrics directly influence business and engineering investment decisions. |
Key Measures
- Frequency and coverage of value stream mapping activities
- Number and impact of identified flow bottlenecks resolved
- Reduction in cycle time and handoff delays following interventions
- Improvement in deployment frequency and lead time metrics
- Stakeholder engagement and cross-team collaboration rates in flow optimisation