Spaghetti Chart

The spaghetti chart is a visual tool used to map and quantify the movements of materials, information, and people involved in a process within a specific environment, such as a warehouse or office. 

As one of the most effective tools for analysing and improving operational processes, it enables the identification of unnecessary or critical movements, highlighting overlapping paths, redundancies, and inefficiencies. Its use is strategic in redefining workflows, helping to optimise the distribution of activities and increase overall performance. 

It is commonly applied in plant re-layout activities, during the implementation of the SMED technique, and for mapping the current state of processes. 

How to apply the spaghetti chart

Creating a spaghetti chart involves a scaled graphical representation of the analysed flows within the area of interest, with coloured lines connecting the start and end points of the moving elements. 

The process begins with the preparation of the necessary materials: 

• An up-to-date paper and digital layout of the area to be analysed; 

• Definition of the person, material, or information whose movement is to be mapped. 
   

Next, direct observation is carried out in the area of interest, recording any movement of the chosen element. The path is traced continuously on the paper layout, without lifting the pencil. If multiple flows are to be represented, different colours are used with a corresponding legend for clear distinction. 

Once the mapping is completed, an analysis of the current state is conducted. The distances travelled are measured physically (e.g. using a ruler) or digitally using tools such as CAD polylines, allowing for precise measurement and cost evaluation. 

This analysis highlights redundancies, overlaps, and inefficiencies, such as bottlenecks and critical points in the process. Based on the data collected, targeted countermeasures are defined to eliminate muda, that is, waste that does not generate value – and to optimise the workflow, making it smoother and more efficient. 

Benefits of the tool

• A simple, visual Lean tool that can be applied to any process to understand how to perform work more efficiently; 

• Provides a clear and immediate visualisation of each individual flow of movement – whether of products, documents, or operators – within a specific environment; 

• Identifies muda, bottlenecks, and redundant or overlapping paths, enabling process optimisation and reduction of non-value-added activities; 

• Supports future-state analysis by comparing it with the current state and quantifying potential improvements. 

You can find practical examples of this technique in our Case Histories!