The same definition of value stream holds true for the office just as it does for the automobile factory, although in an office, it is much harder to see. The easiest value streams to see in an office environment are the ones that are triggered by a piece of paper. Office value streams are by the receipt of a request for a quote, sales order, invoice, job application, benefit claim, procurement request, and so forth. You can then follow the progress of that piece of paper just like you could follow the progress of an automobile being made in a factory. Each activity that occurs in the processing of that piece of paper adds (or subtracts) value just like adding a part to an automobile. For example, processing a job application can have the following activities:

• Screening the application
• Scheduling a phone interview with the applicant
• Conducting a phone interview with the applicant
• Scheduling a person-to-person interview with the applicant
• Conducting a person-to-person interview with the applicant
• Making a hiring decision about the applicant

Each activity occurs in a new hire value stream that produces value in the form of hired employees. It has a specific order in which it must occur. The application screening and phone interviews add incremental value because they assist in improving the quality of candidates selected for the person-to-person interviews.