Value Stream Mapping in Thrift

n a factory, raw materials and components come in one end and finished products come out the other. (that’s an oversimplification, but you get the idea)

Both raw materials and components (thrift donations) become an asset and ongoing expense as soon as they are owned by the facility. Finished goods that have not been sold add capacity to sell but are essentially locked up money until they are sold and gone. They are nearly one-to-one parallels.

In both worlds, anything taking up space in a facility is an asset, and an expense. In thrift invariably some are just an expense.