"The 10 Steps in Lean Production. Steps Six and Seven: Inventory and Production Control Via Kanban"
FDM
April 2004, pp. 22-25
After balancing and leveling the line, inventory and production is controlled in lean manufacturing through the use of kanban: "Kanban uses a pull system that responds to demand by delivering parts and products as they are needed. So, the downstream customer, either internal or external, pulls parts from an upstream supplier only as needed and controls materials used in production... Kanban links that connect work cells control inventory. These links contain a specific number of containers that hold precise quantities of parts. Each container has a kanban card on which the amount of inventory in a link is recorded so users can manipulate it simply by changing the number of containers... Kanbans create a manual, physical system that every worker on the factory floor can easily understand. This allows workers to develop trust in the system, which is necessary for any system to flourish."
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