Benjamin Buetfering
Kanban system is an inventory stock control system that trigger signal for production of product based on actual customer requirement. Work items are visualized to give participants a view of progress and process, from start to finish usually via a Kanban board. Work is pulled as capacity permits, rather than work being pushed into the process when requested.
Kanban

There are ten important problems that Kanban helps to solve:

  1. Lack of organisation
  2. Missed deadlines
  3. Communication slip-ups
  4. Overwhelmed with information
  5. Status information
  6. Inconsistency
  7. Not agile
  8. Limited acess
  9. Rigid layout
  10. Productivity

Visualize the workflow for all participants after splitting processes in parts. With the help of kanban boards the stations of a process can be visualized. Each board has a specific capacity. Therefore only a specific number of task can be done simultaneously. The tasks, features, user and stories of a process can be written on a kanban card. A single card is moving between the different kanban boards. This creates a pull-system, where a station picks up work from another station.


Every member of a kanban process can measure queue times, cycle times and throughput in ordert o organize workload at the stations nearly perfect.

There are six generally accepted rules for kanban:

1. Downstream processes may only withdraw items in the precise amounts specified on the kanban.

2. Upstream processes may only send items downstream in the precise amounts and sequencesspecified by the kanban.

3. No items are made or moved without a kanban.

4. A kanban must accompany each item at all times.

5. Defects and incorrect amounts are never sent to the next downstream process.

6. The number of kanbans should be monitored carefully to reveal problems and opportunities for improvement.