Value Stream Map for SD-WAN Business Process Improvement: A Case Study

Transitioning to software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) as an improved solution for companies aiming to achieve continuous and reliable Internet connectivity, along with cost-efficiency and improved performance and agility, introduces many benefits for business customers, but also puts pressure on service providers to provide this option. Operators may be reluctant to engage in this endeavor due to uncertainty with additional resources needed. This article demonstrates how value stream mapping (VSM) and value stream analysis (VSA) methods can be applied to evaluate and improve sales operations of SD-WAN service to business customers. Our research is based on real-world applications and focuses on the practical implications of the VSM approach to optimize the SD-WAN service provision of a regional telecommunication operator. Current and future value stream maps are developed for the selected “family of services.” Based on the results, the improvement plan is outlined in three major groups of activities: technical feasibility checks, contracting, and delivering the contracted service. With the application of VSA, we were able to reduce the lead time of the cycle by 17% . For the first time, VSM is used here to improve the SD-WAN service in the domain of sales. The activities detected in the VSM that add value are further divided into three groups. This division allows for a more detailed analysis of the activities based on their value to the customer.