Administración de Inventarios

Kanban
Production Activity Control | Lean Manufacturing

Lean Manufacturing is driven by the “pull” of the customer order and supplies the customer with exactly what the customer
wants when the customer wants it, without waste in a continuous improvement.

Kanban is a Japanese word for card, where its function is to signalizing the need for another container of material. The card
is the authorization for the next container of material to be produced. Exercise the production control in the following ways:

1. Authorizes Production. At processes upstream from the pacemaker

process.

2. Pulls Parts. Through upstream processes to the pacemaker based

on the production schedule.

3. Establish Lot Size. Establishes the number of parts containers

between processes on the shop floor.

4. Visual Control. Use visual control in a fast throughput environment.

One Card System

When there is visual contact between producer and user, the process works like this:

1. The user removes a standard size container of parts from a small storage area.

2. The signal al storage area is seen by the producing department as authorization to replenish the using department or storage area.
Because there is an optimum lot size, the producing department may make several containers at time.

Work Cell
M

Final Assembly
P

I
M M P
Raw Material Sub Assembly Final Store
Store

Key
P P
Process Sub Assembly
M Move Card

P Produce Card

Inventory

I Buffer

Information Flow

Material Flow
Figure 1. One Bin Kanban

1
Administración de Inventarios

Two Card System

Is used when the feeder work cell is some distance from next work station:

1. A customer pulls a product from work cell.

2. Work cell needs to make a replacement part and unloads component from containers such as the one shown in the inbound stock
point. There can be multiple containers with parts for the product.

3. The “Move Card” that arrived with the container earlier is immediately removed after unloading at the work cell. The card is a trigger
to a material handler who takes the card to the outbound stock point at previous station and attaches it to the materials that are to be
moved in a container to the inbound stock point of the work cell.

4. Simultaneously, the production card that is always in a container in the outbound stock point is removed to trigger or authorize work
in the previous station to start production on a new container of parts.

5. At the same time, the outbound container of parts moves the inbound stock point at work cell with the move card in or attached to it.
Every container must have a Kanban card.

6. Previous work cell replenishes the outbound stock point with a container of parts that also contains a production card.

Outbound Stock Inbound Stock

Point Point

P M M P

I I
M
Previous Station Work Cell Final Store

Figure 2. Two Bin Kanban.

Inventory Buffers

Inventory are needed due to:

1. Transportation Lead Time. A buffer is important when distances are long.

2. Setup Time. When the work cell changes over another product, its expected cycle time in returning to the first product might vary for
any number of reasons.

3. Manufacturing Lead Time. A feeder cell’s manufacturing lead time will normally have some variation requiring some safety stock or
lead time.

4. Inefficiency. Is the inherent unbalance because variations from standard work, parts shortages, problems with machinery, jigs, tools
and worker efficiency.

Know How:

[1] Advanced Production and Inventory Control Society. Execution and Control of
Operations. Chicago, IL: APICS, 2011.
[2] Chase, Richard B., Nicholas J. Aquilano, F. Robert Jacobs. Administración de
Producción y Operaciones: Manufactura y Servicios. Santa Fe de Bogotá: McGraw-
Hill, 2000.

Ing. Pedro A. Nolasco G., M.C.