Kanban Made Simple: Demystifying and Applying Toyota's Legendary Manufacturing Process
Using Toyota as an example, this is a step-by-step guide to incorporating the ingenuity of the kanban system into any manufacturing environment.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Kanban Made Simple: Demystifying and Applying Toyota's Legendary Manufacturing Process
Are There More Options Than Just Kanban Cards?
Luckily, the answer to the above question is a resounding yes. The kanban signal can be anything that makes sense to your production operation and conveys a clear replenishment signal. As with the kanban cards, always put the signal in the path of the material flow and have a plan for getting the scheduling signals back to the production operations. Some of the more common methods (and variations of these options) are discussed below to give you ideas for your own implementation:
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Look-see
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Kanban boards
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Two-card system
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Faxbans (or e-mails)
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Electronic kanban
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Warehouse racks
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Move/production kanban
These options and their variations are by no means the only options available. When looking at possible designs, open yourself and your team to all possibilities. Be creative invent new options of your own or springboard off of our suggestions to create your own variation. (By the way send us a picture and description of any new ones you create or any new variations of our suggestions. We also want to keep expanding our knowledge.)
Look-See
Whenever possible, your kanban signal should rely on the most reliable sensor your eyes. This form of kanban signal, called a "look-see," consists of visual signals such as floor markings or signs that tell you at a glance when to replenish the item. The basic rule with a look-see signal is that if you can see the yellow signal, then it's time to replenish the item. The red, or danger, signal is also...
Copyright John M. Gross and Kenneth R. McInnis 2003 under license agreement with Books24x7
