TABLE OF CONTENTS All shopfloor operators will need to be trained so they do not panic when they no longer see the oceans of inventory in the workplace. The operators on the implementation team are the means of communication to the workforce on this issue.
If the violation of kanban pull rules and overproduction are to be prevented, piecework mentality and systems must be abolished. Meeting takt time and the level of multiskill capabilities of your employees are now your new priorities.
Your new kanban-based production control system must be documented. You must, at a minimum, clearly explain:
How the entire system is designed to work.
Who is responsible for each task within the system.
Who is responsible for managing the system.
Who will audit the system, and how frequently that audit will occur.
How frequently the new kanban pull system will be re-evaluated for necessary adjustments.
The standards to be met in the system (i.e. card design, kanban board design, container color coding).
Appropriate graphical flow diagrams.
An explanation of how the system's users will be trained in their role to use the system.
Allocation is an issue that often presents itself early in kanban pull system implementation. Allocation is a process in which material is electronically marked as sold in the computer system, but is not physically removed and shipped. What happens to the kanban card? Our advice...
