Spaghetti Diagrams are not referring to pasta, spaghetti, or something Italian. It is a tool that is used in lean to graphically and physically illustrate wasted flow and motion. This presentation offers the basics of creating and using Spaghetti Diagrams to reduce waste and improve processes

1. Spaghetti Diagrams—
Lean Manufacturing
3 December 2015
Rahul Laxman Iyer
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt
ASQ Certified Quality Engineer
Mesa AZ USA

2. Introduction
● What is a Spaghetti Diagram
● Uses of a Spaghetti Diagram
● Benefits of a Spaghetti Diagram
● Developing a Spaghetti Diagram
● Examples of Spaghetti Diagrams (Albeit
Seasonal Examples)

3. What is a Spaghetti
Diagram
● a.k.a “Physical Process Map”, “Point-to-
Point Flow Chart”, or “Work-flow
Diagram”
● Used to Graphically Depict The
Movement of the Product or Documents
(or people!) through a Process
– Present State / Current State
– Future State
● It is an illustration of a systems
inefficiency

4. What is a Spaghetti
Diagram (Continued)
Current State Spaghetti Diagram of a
Creative Agency

5. Uses of a Spaghetti
Diagram
● Identify Waste in a Physical Manner for
a process
● Identify Wasted Motion & Confusing
Flows of Products and Services
● Built around specific work area layouts
– Depicts a Present State / Current State
– Defines Goal Through a Future State

6. Benefits of a Spaghetti
Diagram
● Identifies Inefficiencies in Area/Plant
Layout
● Identifies Opportunities For Less
Handling
● Identifies Opportunities For Better
Workforce Communication
● Identifies Resource Allocation
Opportunities
● Identifies Opportunities For Safety
Improvements

7. Developing a Spaghetti
Diagram
● Sketch current work area arrangement in
detail
● Draw a line to describe every trip each
person or unit makes from one point to
another
● As more trips are made, more lines are
added
● The more wasteful/redundant trips, the
thicker the chart is with lines
– Spaghetti Diagrams make poor
layouts and wasted motion obvious

8. Spaghetti Diagram
Current State & Future
State
In a Medical X-Ray & Imaging Department

9. Examples of Spaghetti
Diagrams
In a Medical Hospital

10. Examples of Spaghetti
Diagrams (continued)
In a Manufacturing / Assembly Operation

11. Seasonal Example Of A
Spaghetti Diagram
Santa's North Pole Shipping Center

12. Conclusion
● What is a Spaghetti Diagram
● Uses of a Spaghetti Diagram
● Benefits of a Spaghetti Diagram
● Developing a Spaghetti Diagram
● Examples of Spaghetti Diagrams

13. Rahul Laxman Iyer
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rahuliyer
220 North 22nd Place Unit 1008
Mesa AZ 85213-8380 USA
Tel: +1-623-570-2848
rahulduong@cox.net
I look forward to helping you to Improve Quality,
Reduce Cost, and Improve Delivery through the
application of Continuous Improvement, Lean, Six
Sigma, and Kaizen in your processes.
Contact me, I am currently looking for new opportunity
in metro Phoenix AZ USA