Kanban and lean manufacturing ? where and how to use it

Posted by AmandaTom on August 22nd, 2013

There is certainly a relationship between Kanban and lean manufacturing, reason for which it is recommended for these two to be used together. The two managing work systems can be used in various business environments, as they can improve the manufacturing processes of any organization.

Lean manufacturing and Kanban also represent a form of communication system able to control the shop flow and also to synchronize the production level to the demands of the customers. This flow can be seen by everybody and can also be adjusted to a proper level, according to any business’s needs. In order for certain kinds of operations to start at specific moments, these improvement methods use different signals. These are usually represented by cards, electronic notices, containers or emails, depending on every firm’s requirements.

When it comes to where lean manufacturing and Kanban should be used, they are mostly recommended in circumstances in which the demand is more or less stable. Although these two can be efficient and improve productivity in all organizations, they can be most efficient in stable environments where there are no shared operations on product lines that have variable demands. Although lean manufacturing is very similar to Kanban, the latter allows quantities to go beyond the one lot size. In turn, this allows a great shop flexibility that can be used when unexpected events happen. In addition, this can also help when it comes to making inventories, in the sense that it can prevent excessive time being allocated to them. All in all, the Kanban and the lean manufacturing goal remains the same: to continually improve the business processes, especially those which cause or might cause problems in the future.

There are a lot of benefits of applying the lean manufacturing and the Kanban systems in business management. First of all, these two can impend wasting time and money for nothing. Secondly, and maybe most importantly they can impend your customers to question the quality of your products, as they will help you manufacture the best services or products your business has ever thought of. In addition, these methods for managing work can also help in achieving JIT production. The Just-In-Time production functions on the basis that all processes of the production line pull only the type and number of components required by the process and that this is done exactly at the right time.

However, before using these two methods for improvement you should bear in mind that they take time in order to function. Although they can be incredibly efficient and even if they require a smaller amount of predictive modeling, a firm level of commitment is needed in order for the continual improvement to do its work. Never letting it go is a crucial element if you want to reach a higher level of efficiency and become leaner.

Make sure you do a thorough research about several online Project Management schools so you can be sure you’ll have chosen the best place to take online courses about Kanban and lean manufacturing and help your business grown and succeed on the long-term.