Kanban and Supermarkets: Streamlining WIP for Shopfloor Success
Plus 2 Quotes and 1 Quiz to kindle your thoughts
1 Article for the Week:
Work-in-progress (WIP) must be controlled on the shop floor because excess WIP ties up capital, clogs workspace, and hides inefficiencies like bottlenecks or defects. Too much WIP leads to longer lead times, overproduction, and wasted resources, while too little can stall production.
Striking the right balance keeps operations lean, responsive, and cost-effective.
In lean operations, Kanban and supermarkets are a dynamic duo for managing work-in-progress (WIP). Kanban’s visual cues—think cards or bins—trigger production only when downstream needs arise, keeping WIP lean and demand-driven.
Pair that with a supermarket, a smart buffer of ready-to-use parts, and you’ve got instant access for the next process step.
When parts are pulled, Kanban signals upstream to replenish just what’s needed, capping inventory and avoiding excess.
This combo ensures smooth workflows, real-time visibility, and quick adaptability to demand shifts, all while cutting waste from overproduction.
2 Quotes for the Week:
"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning."
– Benjamin Franklin, emphasizing the need for constant evolution in processes like manufacturing."Quality is not an act, it is a habit."
– Aristotle, highlighting the importance of consistent excellence in manufacturing processes.
1 Quiz for the Week:
Which tool is commonly used to signal the need for more production in pull systems?
a) Gantt charts
b) Kanban
c) ERP software
d) Time clocks
Please reply with your answer ! One Lucky winner will be featured in our next week’s newsletter.
Kanban
Kanban