Which term is described as a TOC technique for mapping the general flow of parts and products and is abbreviated VATI?

• A. VATI Analysis
• B. Zone picking
• C. Yokoten
• D. Zone

Answer: (A)

In TOC, VATI Analysis is a technique used to map the overall path parts and products follow from start to finish and to distinguish value-added activity from non-value-added activity along that flow. By laying out the general flow, it helps teams see where time is spent on actual value creation versus waste, making it easier to spot delays, redundancies, or unnecessary steps that can be removed or streamlined. This high-level view supports targeted improvements and better alignment of the process, especially around bottlenecks and flow efficiency.

The other options don’t fit this mapping approach: zone picking is a warehouse method for organized picking by zones, Yokoten is the practice of sharing improvements laterally across locations, and a zone is simply a designated area. None of these specifically describe a TOC technique for mapping the general flow of parts and products.