Visualize, analyze, and optimize—these are the core principles for refining your operational processes.
Value stream mapping is the backbone of Lean and Six Sigma strategies, helping you spot bottlenecks, cut inefficiencies, and make the most of your workflow. You could grapple with serious management and workflow problems without value stream mapping.
What is value stream mapping?
In a recent survey of 500 execs, including IT and business leaders—42% used value stream mapping software. This number is expected to grow to 70% by 2024.
But which software should you pick? Which brand offers the features you need? And how do you find one that meets your team’s requirements?
In this blog post, we’ll help you pick a value stream mapping software that fits your budget and needs.
10 Value Stream Mapping Software to Improve Processes in 2024
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Should You Look for In Value Stream Mapping Software?
Before you go on to choose the best software for your value stream management and mapping needs, here are core capabilities to look for:
- Operation Visualization: Your mapping software should create detailed visual maps of your processes, covering every step until delivery of your product or service
- Data Analysis: The ability to process and analyze data with built-in tools is crucial. It helps you gather stats on cycle times, lead generation, conversion times, and other performance metrics so you can improve your processes
- Collaboration and Communication: A must-have feature in Value Stream Mapping is the ability for team members and departments to collaborate easily on a shared interface
- Simulations and Planning: Some value stream mapping software can run simulations using collected data to improve decision-making. You can assess the potential impact of changes before applying them in the real world
- Integration Capabilities: Your value stream mapping tool should allow your team to use other necessary products. It should offer basic integrations, making it easier to work with other business tools
Summarize this article for me pleaseThe 10 Best Value Stream Mapping Software to Use in 2024
1. ClickUp
Use ClickUp to design workflows with handy features like whiteboards, mind maps, automations, and numerous templates
ClickUp’s virtual whiteboard (ClickUp Whiteboards) craftily turns ideas into coordinated actions on a shared interface. Collaborate and brainstorm in real-time through this shared canvas.
ClickUp Mind Maps gives you complete control over your creativity. Jot down ideas and draw connections between them and tasks. The drag-and-drop feature makes the entire process a breeze. Share your concept maps with team members, enabling better collaboration.
ClickUp best features
- ClickUp Whiteboard Templates: Coordinate ideas and workflows. You can brainstorm, strategize, doodle, draw, and create infinitely and connect all this to your workflow
- ClickUp Mind Mapping: Organize your ideas and plan tasks using ClickUp’s Mind Map feature. Draw connections between all your nodes and visualize your workflow with a convenient drag-and-drop system
- ClickApps: Customize ClickUp using ClickApps integrations to suit your project or team-related needs in work management, collaboration, organization, and reporting
- Seamless collaboration: Automatically sync your whiteboards, mind maps, process maps, and Kanban cards in a unified platform
- Detailed Reporting and Analysis: Track your projects and timelines with ClickUp’s detailed reports
ClickUp limitations
- Users may need some time to get used to the interface
ClickUp pricing
- Free Forever
- Unlimited: $7/month per user
- Business: $12/month per user
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
- ClickUp AI integrates into all paid plans for $5 per workspace
ClickUp ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.7/5 (2,000+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (3,000+ reviews)
2. Creately
Creately is a versatile visualization tool that offers advanced diagramming, an infinite canvas for brainstorming, and real-time collaboration. Create diagrams like a pro with 70 diagramming standards and over 1000 shapes and connectors for speedy diagram creation.
Create intuitive value stream maps, multiple task roles and flows, create custom databases, and store your ideas in one place.
Creately best features
- Advanced Diagramming and Whiteboarding: Create comprehensive diagrams, mind maps, and flowcharts to gain clear insights into your business processes
- Infinite Canvas: Work on a single canvas with infinite space for all your ideas. Drag and drop elements freely without encountering any restrictive walls
- Real-Time Collaboration: Display text cursors and mouse pointers on the same workspace as your team members so you can easily collaborate
- Centralized Data Repository: Drag and drop data elements from virtually any data source directly onto your canvas and make them ready for visual interaction
Creately limitations
- Needs more tutorials to guide new users
- Loading too much data onto diagrams makes the tool slow
- Limited customization
Creately pricing
- Free version with limited functionality
- Personal version: $5/month per user
- Business version: $89/user per month
- Enterprise version: Custom pricing
Creately ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.4/5 (1,070+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (160+ reviews)
3. SmartDraw
SmartDraw combines diagramming, whiteboarding, and data analysis in one place, making collaboration easier.
SmartDraw is known for its ease of use and versatility, making it suitable for various applications. It is best suited for architectural, construction, and other complex design templates due to its powerful CAD drawing tools.
SmartDraw best features
- Diagramming AI: Visualize your operational processes with inbuilt automation. Edit your diagrams without messing up the connections
- CAD Drawing Tools: Use architectural, metric, or custom scaling change scales if needed after you start drawing
- Layer System: Plan out intricate construction diagrams with electrical, plumbing, or HVAC designs using SmartDraw’s in-built layering system
- Data to Diagram Converter: Generate visual charts from any data source like Github, AWS, etc
SmartDraw limitations
- Touch screen UI is lacking
- The licensing and installation process needs further streamlining
- Requires more customizations, for example, shapes and objects
SmartDraw pricing
- Individual Version: $9.95/user per month
- Team Version: $8.25/user per month
- Site Version: $2,995 annually
SmartDraw ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.6/5 (230+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.1/5 (110+ reviews)
4. Microsoft Visio
Visio offers ready-to-use templates and customizable shapes for effortless value stream mapping. Level up your business productivity by collaborating on professional diagrams and improving your decision-making and data visualization.
Visio prioritizes accessibility to a wider audience, employing features like Narrator and Accessibility Checker. The Narrator assists users by reading out the content of the diagrams, while the Accessibility Checker helps ensure that the diagrams meet accessibility standards.
Plus, it shares robust security measures with Microsoft 365 apps, including Information Rights Management.
Microsoft Visio’s best features
- Advanced Diagramming: Access a good selection of premade stream mapping templates, starter diagrams, and stencils that you can use to create easy-to-understand visual representations
- Visio JavaScript Mashup AP: Access and handle Visio web diagrams, its pages, and its shapes directly on their websites
- Microsoft Office Add-Ins: Link diagrams you create on Visio to other popular Microsoft offerings. Work on them directly from Microsoft Teams, embed diagrams into Power BI dashboards, automatically execute business workflows with Power Automate, integrate with Excel, Powerpoint, Word, and much more
Microsoft Visio limitations
- No free version or trial
- Unintuitive for some users
- Relatively steep learning curve
- No mobile stream mapping online
Microsoft Visio pricing
- Plan 1: $5/user/month
- Plan 2: $15/user/month
Microsoft Visio ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.2/5 (650+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (3050+ reviews)
5. EdrawMax
EdrawMax is an all-in-one diagram maker. It focuses on leveraging the power of artificial intelligence to create, analyze, and simulate compelling visualizations.
EdrawMax has drawn (pun intended) the attention of many businesses through its intelligent symbol libraries, multi-format compatibility, and intelligent AI.
EdrawMax best features
- AI Diagramming: Simplify the diagramming process using artificial intelligence. Various AI features like AI Diagramming, AI Analysis, AI Chat, AI Copywriting, AI OCR, etc. come together to create a seamless virtual environment for your teams
- Multi-Format Compatibility: Supports multiple relevant file formats like Visio (VSSX), Excel, PowerPoint, Word, PDF, HTML, GIF, TIFF, JPG, and more
- Intelligent Symbol Libraries: Create value stream map and enhance diagrams with pre-built symbol libraries. Personalize this feature further by importing your own value stream mapping symbols
- Auto Layout Options: Clean up the look of your diagrams with just one button. Organize objects with the dedicated Guideline Tool
EdrawMax limitations
- Needlessly complicated multi-step process to export diagrams
- Should include more ready-to-use Icon libraries
- Some users have had trouble with text and image formatting and printing
EdrawMax pricing
- Limited free trial
- Semi-annual plan:$55.2 per user
- Annual Plan: $79.2 per user
- Lifetime Plan: $171.5 per user
- Lifetime Bundle Plan $187.2 per user
EdrawMax ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (60+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (200+ reviews)
6. Miro
Miro markets itself as an innovative visual workspace creator.
It helps users unleash their creativity by providing many forms of visualization assistance and collaborative avenues to let you create intuitive and professional value stream maps.
Miro best features
- Infinite Canvas: Work without any limits on your creative workspace and an infinite canvas
- Innovative Widgets: Improve your visualization process using Miro’s diverse selection of widgets, including sticky notes, freeform pens, shapes, arrows, and smart drawing tools
- Collaboration Features: Collaborate using features like embedded video, chat and commenting, easy screen sharing, and real-time cursor tracking
- Multiple Integrations: Streamline your workflow with popular and relevant integrations like Slack, Jira, Google Drive, Sketch, and more
Miro limitations
- Both the user interface and user experience (UI and UX) are unintuitive
- The number of pre-built stream mapping templates is quite limited
- Exporting in PDF format is sometimes buggy
- Integrating PowerPoint slides can be a hassle
- The Voting feature has been reported to have bugs
Miro pricing
- Always Free Limited Version
- Basic Plan: $8 per member per month
- Business Version: $16 per member per month,
- Enterprise Version: Custom pricing
Miro ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.8/5 (5200+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (1390+ reviews)
7. MindMeister
via MindMeister
MindMeister is a software for value stream mapping that focuses on creating Mind Maps. Create and co-edit mind maps in real-time, fostering efficient brainstorming and decision-making.
The platform supports accessibility with a user-friendly design, making it easy for everyone to contribute to the creative process.
MindMeister best features
- Mind Mapping Essentials: Create mind maps for your process with features like Mixed-value stream map Layouts, Presentations, Templates, Connections, Beautiful Themes, etc
- Styling Options: Be creative with MindMeister’s many styling options like Individual Topic Styling, Line Styling, Tintable Images, and Emojis, Markdown Syntax, etc
- Collaborative Features: Share, comment on, and view older map versions to brainstorm ideas collectively
- Integrations: MindMeister integrates with MeisterTask, MeisterNote, Embedded Media, Google Workspace integrations, MS Teams integrations, etc
MindMeister limitations
- Customer service takes a long time to respond
- Many users have suggested that the free plan should include more features
- Paid versions could have more flexible payment plans
- Larger maps are a bit difficult to navigate
MindMeister pricing
- Extremely Limited Free Version
- Personal Version: $3.50 per user per month
- Pro Version: $5.50 per user per month
- Business Version: $8.50 per user per month
MindMeister ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (30+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (280+ reviews)
8. GitMind
via GitMind
GitMind provides users with a new-gen approach to information flow-charting and mind mapping using artificial intelligence. It balances functionality and aesthetics to provide an optimal workflow for data visualization.
The creativity is strong with this one, as is evident from some of the names it chooses for its feature set.
GitMind best features
- A Fine Balance: Aesthetics and kinematics—GitMind has its eyes on both. Visual representations like mind maps, flowcharts, organizational charts, UML diagrams, and swimlanes are easy to create and execute with the software
- Collaborative Feedback: Generate visualizations for your teammates to view, allowing them to comment and offer precise feedback, streamlining your workflow efficiently.
- AI Integration: Leverage GitMind’s potent AI tools, including AI Docs, chat photo editor, subtitle writer, and speech-to-text, to elevate your visualization journey
GitMind limitations
- UI theming aspects can be a bit problematic
- Limited template designs
GitMind pricing
- Basic Free Version
- 3-year non-subscription plan:$2.47 per user per month
- Annual plan: $4.08 per user per month
- Monthly plan: $9 per user per month
GitMind ratings and reviews
- G2: Not enough reviews
- Capterra: Not enough reviews
9. Lucidchart
Lucidchart is a dynamic platform that simplifies complex ideas through intuitive visualizations, letting your team brainstorm together.
AI Prompt Flow, Android support, and automated diagramming stand out as capabilities. Use this software to create business process maps, map data flow, or organize Scrum teams.
Lucidchart best features
- Android Support: Lucidchat’s Android app goes against the grain. Create new diagrams and edit existing ones. Get complete access to all Lucidcharts documents and folders on the go
- Real-time Collaboration: Share your diagrams within and among teams for instant feedback. Multiple people can edit the same file simultaneously as well if you choose to
- Easy Imports: Import Visio, Gliffy, or OmniGraffle files into Lucidchart and edit them without restrictions
- Automated Diagramming: Automatically create diagrams from raw data. Generate UML sequence diagrams from text markup, org charts from CSV files, connecting diagrams to Google Sheets, etc
Lucidchart limitations
- The UI and UX look and feel a bit outdated
- Lacks synchronization ability with SharePoint and Microsoft Teams
- No one-time purchase options
- The mobile experience is not the best
Lucidchart pricing
- Very Limited Free Version
- Individual plan: $7.95 per user per month
- Team plan: $9.00 per user per month
- Enterprise plan: Custom pricing
Lucidchart ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.5/5 (4800+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.5/5 (2000+ reviews)
10. Visual Paradigm
Visual Paradigm is a collection of design, analysis, and management tools. They come together to assist with IT project management primarily.
The tools support a variety of formats and designs like UML, BPMN, ArchiMate, DFD, ERD, SoaML, SysML, CMMN, etc. This makes the software a good choice for niche requirements.
Visual Paradigm’s best features
- Specialized ADM Tools: Perform ADM activities with minimal team training required and auto-generate TOGAF deliverables with unique TOGAF ADM (Architecture Development Method) lifecycle tools and others like DoDAF, NAF, and MODAF
- Analytics and Design: The end-to-end business tools help you plan process designs with BPNM, study and analyze workflow, and document your plans
- Scrum Process Canvas: Manage your entire Scrum Project on a singular page. Perform actions within the process map and easily generate Scrum Reports
- Collaborative Features: Like most good value stream mapping software, VP comes with the ability to let you and your team work on documents simultaneously
Visual Paradigm limitations
- Diagram connectors have often been reported to act strangely
- Unintuitive user interface
- The overarching look and feel of the software is quite outdated
- The drag-and-drop tools often don’t function properly
Visual Paradigm pricing
- Modeler plan: $6 per month or $99 for the perpetual plan
- Standard plan: $19 per month or $349 for the perpetual plan
- The Professional plan: $35 per month or $799 for the perpetual plan
- Enterprise plan: $89 per month or $1999 for the perpetual plan
Visual Paradigm ratings and reviews
- G2: 4.3/5 (15+ reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (15+ reviews)
Summarize this article for me pleaseFind the Best Value Stream Mapping Software For You!
If efficiency and slashing waste are your goals, value stream mapping software is your answer. Value stream maps constantly improve your business operations and enable a transparent chain of communication and collaboration.
If you want to get your teams together and understand how valuable Value Stream Mapping Software can be, sign up to ClickUp for free.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
