Kanban Cards

For a manufacturing company that has been around for more than 20 years, the current climate of demand has forced us to rethink the way we keep and replenish stocks.

It has always been easy to buy when we run out of stock, or have a minimum stock order trigger in a computerised system (we hold almost 300 different types of raw materials so inevitably we need it in a computer programme). However, the weakest link in this whole chain in that operators do not inform the planners how much material they have used. This causes a huge disparity of information between what is in the planners’ system, and what the operators have on the ground. This “black hole” of information causes the raw materials to arrive later than when it is required, causing delay in production.

Maybe instead of trying to fight for “live” accuracy, we can focus on “trigger” accuracy. Meaning that operators inform planners with a kanban card when the minimum stock is used. 

… and there was light.

How often have we tried in our workplace to make improvements only to face rejection and failure? That’s what I faced almost everyday. Until I was trained in the ways of Lean.

Lean has the ability to create an environment where people are free to make mistakes while trying to improve. Apple did not become who they are today without making their mistakes. So did great companies like IKEA, Toyota, DHL and Dell. 

Mistakes, when made and seen from the right angles, can become valuable experiences for organisations to learn from. And that is what I like about Lean – it encourages mistakes, records it objectively, so that the next step will be a better one.

Hence, for those who find making changes daunting, here’s Lean telling you “…and there was light.”