Kanban Projects

Abstract

Kanban is a Japanese word for card or signal. But it actually means more than that. The Kanban is an information system that describes exactly the type and number of materials required by a manufacturing process. Sitting at the heart of just-in-time (JIT) production systems, the Kanban is used to initiate the manufacture and withdrawal of items throughout a production process. This simple, yet powerful concept, is a key ingredient to reducing work-in-progress, eliminating bottlenecks, balancing workload and achieving faster cycle times. To help understand how Kanban does this, the anecdote below may help.