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Lean approach has overcome the boundaries of the automotive and manufacturing industry and has achieved many different sectors of the economy, including services. In this context, this paper aims to investigate the applicability of value stream mapping (VSM) tool in processes of the oil and gas chain. Also, this paper investigates if there is a specific framework currently being used by organizations belonging to this chain to map the value stream of its processes.

A detailed systematic review of the literature is done by using a set of relevant keywords based on peer-reviewed journal articles and conference papers available in the Scopus database, analyzing data from 2012 to 2017. Content analysis methodology involving a four-step process (identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion) suggested by Moher et al. (2009) was adopted for this study.

The number of studies in literature on VSM applicability to the oil and gas chain processes is low when compared to studies regarding the application of lean tools and methods in general in this area. Also, there is no specific framework that has been used by the oil and gas chain companies to carry out the VSM, which is a research gap that can be further explored.

Sample size for this research consists of 42 studies, thereby limiting the generalizability of the research studies. However, the analysis presented in this paper was based only on Scopus database, which is a remarkable and broad base, which provided robustness to the data found.

Practicing managers of oil and gas chain who are planning to transform their processes can use the VSM for it. Researchers can explore the research gap found in this study and develop a specific framework to implement VSM in the oil and gas chain processes.

This is the first paper to evaluate the VSM tool applicability to the oil and gas chain processes based on an systematic literature review and understand if this is possible and if there is a specific framework to carry out this task.