A value stream is the end-to-end journey through which a need becomes an outcome for a customer, stakeholder or beneficiary.
It connects work that may cross several teams, decisions, systems and organisational boundaries. Unlike a business process, which explains how a particular part of the work is performed, a value stream keeps attention on whether the whole journey produces something worthwhile.
Following the stream can reveal delays, hand-offs and local improvements that damage the overall outcome. It also makes visible who receives the value, who carries the effort or cost and where consequences appear along the way.