Kanban is an approach to process change for organizations, which uses visualization with a Kanban board. It allows a better understanding of work and workflow. Kanban practice limits work in progress, which reduces waste from multitasking and context switching, exposes operational problems and encourages collaboration to improve the system. It is rooted in two sets of principles, for change management and service delivery, which emphasize evolutionary change and customer focus. Kanban practice does not prescribe a specific set of steps, but starts from existing context and encourages continuous and incremental changes to the system. It minimizes resistance to change to facilitate it. The Kanban process focuses on the customer and work, which meets their needs, rather than an individual’s activities.

Kanban boards are perceived as a variation on traditional Kanban cards. Instead of the signal cards that represent demand or capacity, the board utilizes magnets, plastic chips, colored washers or sticky notes to represent work items. Each of these objects represents an item in a production process as it moves around the board. Its movement corresponds with a knowledge work or manufacturing process. The most basic board can be divided into three sections: “waiting,” “work in progress,” and “completed work.” Complex Kanban boards can be created that visualize the flow of work across a value stream map.

For individuals and organizations using Kanban boards, a new app is making waves across the business community. Trello is an app that has exceeded 25 million users and is considered a viral runaway success. It uses the Kanban principles for managing projects, originally popularized by Toyota in the 1980s for supply chain management. Projects are represented by boards, which contain lists (corresponding to task lists). Lists contain cards (corresponding to tasks). Cards are supposed to progress from one list to the next (via drag-and-drop), for instance mirroring the flow of a feature from idea to implementation. Users can be assigned to cards. Users and boards can be grouped into organizations.

It supports iPhone, Android and Windows 8 mobile platforms, along with Mac and PC desktop platforms. It is also supported on various tablet and iPad platforms. Another key feature is integration. These API integrations allow users to access features such as Google Drive, Slack and Salesforce directly from Trello.

(This is not an endorsement of a product or its developer)

The post Kanban – Boards and Cards Go Digital as a Viral App appeared first on 6sigma.

How to Maintain Kanban Systems

Kanban means visual card’, or simply, sign’ in Japanese. In manufacturing, there are two types of Kanban: the move’ Kanban, which tells the receiving department when to move parts to the assembly line, and the make’ Kanban, which instructs suppliers to manufacture parts or products. As part of the Lean Six Sigma methodology, Kanban cards can be used in all business industries (not just manufacturing) to streamline tasks, improve operational processes, and encourage better communication within the workforce.

Kanban cards and systems are designed to cut waste, reduce time wasting, and improve collaboration on projects. But, Kanban cards are not magic; they won’t transform your business efficiency levels on their own. You must properly maintain them and utilize their full potential.

So, how can one effectively maintain a Kanban system? Here are five key ways.

1.      Remove Completed Tasks Immediately

When business operations are in progress, Kanban systems come in extremely handy for tracking the status of work tasks, delegating jobs, and collaborating as a team to produce the finest results. But only when Kanban boards are used regularly, as it’s imperative to keep them up to date. Failing to switch completed tasks over from your board to the done’ list will make it harder to find ongoing operations quickly. This will slow your colleagues down, instead of making their job more convenient.

Don’t put off removing tasks until tomorrow, your Kanban board should always be up to date.

2.       Color Coding

The purpose of a Kanban system is to allow you easy access to information about tasks in progress. Make use of a color coding system that allows you to effortlessly navigate the Kanban board. Whether you use a digital or physical system, contrasting colors ensure urgent jobs stand out, enable you to keep track of team members’ progress, and ensure projects are completed punctually.

A coding system where different colors have different representations, (for example, Red = to do, yellow = doing, and green = done) is a simple, straightforward way to utilize colors for your Kanban board.

3.      Move Cards Between Columns

Moving Kanban cards between columns is imperative if you want to make the most of your Kanban board and system. In general, this is the feature that is used the most. There’s a high likelihood that you’ll be moving cards around more frequently than you create new ones.

If you’re using a Kanban board app, you will be able to easily move cards within seconds. Apps and similar digital Kanban systems allow you to change the placement of a card at any time, for example to move it from the to do’ column to doing’.

Physical Kanban board users should also get into the habit of moving the card as soon as the status of a project changes. Moving cards around on a physical board is not quite as effortless as when using an app. Use magnets and sticky notes, as they are popular solutions for improving the efficiency of this process.

Which one should you use, physical or digital?

4.      Add Notes

When you’re using your Kanban system to track the progress of multiple projects, not including details about the task could land your team in a sea of confusion. Vague information can cost you dearly. If your employees become muddled when completing tasks, they will make mistakes. 

Adding notes to cards in a digital Kanban system should be a quick and easy process. If you are using a Kanban app, there will be an add note’ function handy. If you’re using a physical board, use cards that are large enough to add detailed information to.

5.      Attach Checklists

Both digital and physical Kanban boards support the use of checklists to track operations progress. A checklist is a simple, efficient way of making sure that everything gets done, so they are widely utilized in Kanban systems.

If you’re using a Kanban app, you will likely have access to a feature allowing you to create a quick checklist for any given task. This will allow you to break one large project down into a series of smaller tasks, while only using up the space of one card on the board. Ensure that each project is checked off immediately on completion, to avoid the risk of wasting time working on something that’s already been done.

To Conclude

Working with a digital or physical Kanban system can help you to transform your business operations from sluggish and slow to fast and efficient. However, many people get wrapped up in the structure and look of a Kanban system, and overlook the discipline and consistency that is more critical for success. Make a habit of using these Kanban system maintenance strategies. so that you don’t miss out on any of its useful features. 

Learn more about Kanban >>>

The post How to Maintain Kanban Systems appeared first on 6sigma.

Different Types of Kanban Boards and Card Holders

Since it was introduced in the 1950’s by Toyota Production System founder Taiichi Ohno, Kanban has been adopted by thousands of companies in pursuit of success.

Kanban cards exist to track progress. Doing so helps each member of a business team stay up-to-date, allowing them to easily determine which strategies are useful and which aren’t. But, if you’re using Kanban cards to track progress, then you will need a way to display them. This enables your team to see the progress status on various projects or on the overall business. There are many methods to choose from when it comes to displaying Kanban cards in the workplace.

Here are some of the different types of Kanban boards and card holders explained.

Online Kanban Boards

In today’s digital world, online Kanban boards are a must in any office practicing the Lean Six Sigma method. With an online Kanban board, you can use your laptop, tablet or smartphone to visualize, manage your workflow, and engage in real-time collaboration on various projects with your team members. Online Kanban boards emulate their offline counterparts using apps, but they offer so much more: faster work completion, better efficiency, improved flexibility, and more transparency.

One of the biggest advantages of opting for an online Kanban board is that they offer easy customization. Using your device, you can effortlessly change the ways in which you deal with the designation of lanes or columns. You can also easily adjust the Kanban card to fit in with the details of your project.

Read about the pros and cons between digital and physical kanban boards >>>

Agile Kanban Boards

The term Agile’ was first coined in relation to Kanban almost twenty years ago, in a manifesto written by a 17-strong authorship team of independent software developers. Agile offers a flexible, interactive approach to using Kanban cards for business. The methods allow teams to divide the development process into smaller, manageable segments, enabling easier changes as work progresses, and minimizing the risk of a stand-still.

Although Agile teams are likely to need a more complex set of options than the to do, doing, done’ of basic Kanban, the adaptability of the system is what makes it so popular. Using Agile Kanban boards, teams can accept incremental changes, visually present complex tasks, workflows and progress, and improve the transparency of their workplace projects and collaborations. Using Kanban in Agile development allows you to visually track where work is becoming backlogged in any lane. You can then take more informed action steps when setting limits, ensuring that the workflow runs smoothly.

Excel Kanban Boards

One of the simplest ways to present your Kanban cards is to create a board using Excel, a software program that all Microsoft Office users have access to. If you do not use Microsoft Office, you can create Kanban boards for free online using Google Sheets.

To create a Kanban board in Excel (or Google Sheets), name the columns of your sheet to reflect each work progress stage: To-Do, Doing, Done, along with any further stages relevant to the project. This Kanban board method is popular, as it not only allows you to retain all the functionality of tracking a project using Excel, but it also allows for enhanced flexibility and visibility, which takes advantage of Kanban principles.

An alternative to using Excel is to use PowerPoint. This popular slide show software makes it easy to showcase or present your Kanban cards to staff, clients or stakeholders.

Kanban Bin Systems

In certain workplace settings, 2-bin and 3-bin Kanban systems can be used to track inventory. Used for replenishing items in a supply setting, such as a production line or other kind of factory, a worker will pull tasks from bin number one until the last task is complete.

Once the bin is emptied, the worker will flip the Kanban card (or the bin, in some cases) and begin on the tasks in the second bin, while the first one is replenished. When using a 3-bin Kanban system, one bin should be kept at the supplier’s location for inventory.

Wall Mounted Card-Holders and Racks

Wall-mounted racks or card-holders provide a traditional, yet effective, method of using Kanban cards to improve efficiency and productivity. Ideal for material handling environments, these racks or card-holders can help with the smooth flow of both projects and communication.

Rather than the usual signal cards, which represent capacity or demand on a task, Kanban cards in wall-mounted holder utilizes items such as magnets, sticky notes, or push-pins for representing each work item. As it travels around the board, each object correlates to a business process such as an item in production.

Kanban cards are one of the most versatile aids for business process improvement. The large assortment of methods available for displaying Kanban cards in the workplace allows any company to successfully adapt them to their needs.

The post Different Types of Kanban Boards and Card Holders appeared first on 6sigma.

Digital vs Physical Kanban Boards

The physical vs. digital debate has been around since the internet was first conceived. If using Kanban cards to improve business efficiency, you can choose to use either a digital or physical board to speed up operational processes and encourage workplace productivity.

The decision to use either digital or physical boards should not be taken lightly. Although both work to track tasks in much the same manner, each have their own distinct set of advantages and disadvantages for business.

Here are some of the main things to consider when choosing between a digital or physical Kanban board.

Pros of Digital Kanban Boards

In today’s digital age, it makes sense to ensure that your business is up to date with all the latest technologies. So, if you’re using the Lean Six Sigma methodology, one of the most obvious ways to do this is with a digital or online Kanban board.

Digital Kanban boards can be made quickly using everyday software packages such as Microsoft Excel, or, you can download specialized software to design and keep track of Kanban cards, such as Trello, Kanban Tool, or Cardsmith. Since tasks can be easily updated in real-time online without the need to hunt around for board markers or sticky notes, choosing this option can create better efficiency for your business and significantly streamline tasks.

Another advantage to consider when opting for a digital Kanban board is that they can usually be accessed from anywhere, providing the user is connected to the internet. Using a cloud solution such as Google Drive, you can save your Kanban cards easily online where any employee with login credentials can easily get to them. This can help to improve workplace efficiency by giving employees access to progress data before the working day even begins. This works especially well when you have a remote team that cannot easily meet in person.

Cons of Digital Kanban Boards

There may be an assortment of great benefits to be had by using a digital Kanban board, however, that’s not to say they don’t come without their drawbacks. Since digital Kanban boards require a computer screen or device to be viewed on, they can often have your team squinting at the monitor. Additionally, it can be difficult to ensure the constant visibility of a digital Kanban board when using it to monitor progress in the workplace, for example, if the user is automatically logged out after a certain time period.

That’s not all, either before you choose a digital Kanban board, consider the possibility that it could slow down your employees, rather than motivating them to work harder. This is especially true in an office setting, where a digital Kanban board could have the opposite effect and minimize communications. This is because workers can simply stay in their seat and pull up the Kanban board online rather than heading over to discuss their idea with a colleague.

Since digital Kanban boards are so easy to update and expand, they can quickly become an idea dump’, overloading your workforce and making it harder to determine which ideas are worth the pursuit.

Finally, the discipline of updating and discussing changes on the board is best learned in person, so in the long term, the kanban boards may fall apart when the discipline hasn’t been established.

Pros of Physical Kanban Boards

Unlike their online counterparts, a physical Kanban board does not require an internet connection. An old-school’ way of doing things (physical boards, racks and card holders) have been used for Kanban cards successfully since they were first invented back in the 1950’s.

Physical Kanban boards utilize items such as colored magnets, sticky notes, and push pins to represent tasks at various stages of to do, doing, or done. Physical Kanban boards can be used to encourage communication in the office. Since employees need to get up and walk to the board to update it, this facilitates more conversations between employees. You may even notice an improvement in workplace morale as your employees get away from their desks regularly, improve their productivity, reduce ergonomic issues, and strengthen workplace relationships.

Physical Kanban boards are highly customizable, and there are many examples of them being used to improve employee satisfaction. For example, some businesses have their employees pick their favorite color or even a cartoon figure to represent their tasks on the board. A small gesture, with big results!

Cons of Physical Kanban Boards

Perhaps the main problem with physical Kanban boards is that unlike digital boards saved to the cloud, they are not indestructible. Accidents can happen, and if your workplace is damaged by a natural disaster or break-in, damage or loss of your physical Kanban board could set your business’ productivity back even further.

Additionally, it is more difficult to expand a physical Kanban board. When working digitally, it’s easy to add new cards and tasks to the board with little effort. On the other hand, physical Kanban boards must also be added to physically. For a business that uses physical Kanban boards often, a magnetic board is ideal, since this will help to reduce paper waste.

Lastly, consider the number and type of tasks that your business carries out. If the workload is very high, an interruption or restart often means making the effort to tear the Kanban board down and start all over again.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of the type of business you run, there are many ways that you can benefit from using Kanban cards and boards to track your tasks, improving efficiency and productivity. Keep in mind the pros and cons of each Kanban board type to make the right choice for your workforce.

Learn more about kanban boards >>>

The post Digital vs Physical Kanban Boards appeared first on 6sigma.

How Do I Know When I’m Ready to Implement Kanban?

Before implementing a new tool or a new methodology, you need to make sure you are ready to do it well. If you are not ready for it, you risk doing more damage than good, and implementing something like Kanban improperly might actually hinder your own or your organization’s productivity.

This is why we have compiled a list of indications to help you make sure you are ready for Kanban:

1.     You Understand the Terminology

Before implementing a methodology or a tool, you need to understand them, and be familiar with all of their underlying concepts. A good litmus test for determining if your knowledge has the required depth is by checking if you are familiar with the core terminology. If you don’t know what WIP limits, bottlenecks, pull/push systems, flow efficiency, the PDCA cycle, or swim lanes are, you probably need to learn a bit more about Kanban in order for you to be ready to implement it well.

2.     You Can Involve Everybody

When implementing Kanban in an organization or a team, it can only work if everybody involved in the actual work is invested and ready to get involved. If there are team segments or particular individuals that are involved in the process who are not going to be involved in the Kanban implementation, you are most likely going to fail. Kanban needs to be a common priority for everybody, not just to be effective, but to work at all. So if you can’t ensure that, you are simply not in the position to implement it yet, and you should look to expand the support for it first.

3.     You Have Studied the Particular Process

It doesn’t matter if you want to implement Kanban to manage a particular business process, an entire organization, a team or your personal workload – before you can implement the system, you need to study the actual process or set of processes you are going to use it for. As simple as Kanban is, designing a suitable Kanban board and/or Kanban cards requires the person in charge to understand the needs of the organization, and all the little specificities that are part of the process. Since Kanban focuses on the flow, the actual steps of the process need to be clearly understood, so they can become part of the implementation. Otherwise, you risk having the system as a hindrance instead of a valuable solution to problems and a source of improvement and efficiency.

4.     You Have a Clear Vision for the Implementation

You shouldn’t start putting Kanban into practice until you have a very clear idea of why it is going to be beneficial, and how exactly it is going to work. This means that you aren’t ready to implement Kanban until you have a clear vision for it. As mentioned above, Kanban might not be too complex, but in order for it to function correctly, it needs to be properly implemented. There are a few different things that you need to consider, such as: what you are going to have on the Kanban cards, what steps of the process you will use as columns, what WIP limits will be imposed, and if or how your swim lanes will be implemented. If all of that is clear, you are ready, otherwise you need to work on your vision more.

5.     You Have Though About What Could Go Wrong

Before you can claim you are ready to go through with any major transformation, ask yourself what could go wrong. You should do that before you implement Kanban. Try to think about any weaknesses in your plans, possible failures and obstacles, and how you are going to handle them. You are not ready to go through with a plan until you have considered the worst case scenario, as well and feel confident you know how to avoid it.

So Are You Ready?

Proper preparation is always a crucial part of success, so don’t rush anything. Implementing a new workflow management tool is not a small step, and you shouldn’t overlook any of the five indications on this list. Skipping any of them will put your project at a higher risk of failure, so the prudent thing to do would be to make sure you are thoroughly prepared. But if you have covered all your bases and you feel ready to succeed with Kanban, go ahead and enjoy it.

Learn more about Kanban >>>

The post How Do I Know When I’m Ready to Implement Kanban? appeared first on 6sigma.

[contentblock id=46 img=html.png]
What is the Role of the Water Spider in Lean Manufacturing?

There are different ways to handle parts and materials when organizing your factory floor, and one interesting options that is part of the Lean Manufacturing methodology is the “water spider.”

The water spider is a term that refers to a specific person whose main job is to make sure that materials are supplied to where they are needed. While this is mainly a material replenishment position, it offers a bit more flexibility, and some additional benefits if well-implemented. The rationale behind having such a person is to allow the rest of the personnel to devote their full attention to tasks that add value to the process. This also highlights how much transportation waste and inefficiency exists in the process by isolating it all into one or more positions.

Standardization

To the untrained eye, a water spider might look like a free floater that does a variety of tasks, besides making sure materials are properly stocked everywhere. It’s easy to get the misleading feeling that this is a bit of a chaotic role, but this could not be further from the truth. While the water spider needs to make sure that the production flow is uninterrupted and unobstructed, they should also follow a standardized process themselves.

The job of the water spider is NOT to increase variability by constantly improvising and by being excessively flexible, but to minimize variation for everybody else on the production floor or within the process. The first thing to put on standard work is their physical route. They should visit the workstations and operators in the same order and at similar intervals. The speed and frequency of their rounds should be dictated by the needs of the process, and its timing should be designed to fit with what is needed. Everybody should be constantly supplied, so the value-adding flow is never interrupted, while the water spider themselves should not make too many excessive rounds (except for special situations).

The water spider should have a clear set of tasks described in their process. They don’t have to be limited to just bringing and taking materials. The position can also include some form of supervision and handling other auxiliary tasks. A water spider can supply raw materials and parts, transport finished products away from the work area, remove waste, move Kanban cards, update status boards, pack materials to be taken away, or even keep an eye on less experienced personnel. Regardless of the exact things the water spider is tasked with, each one should be part of their standardized working process. Both the water spider and the other workers should have a clear idea of what the water spider is there to do and not to do.

Role and Main Benefits

The main reason to implement a water spider is to decrease variation for everybody else. When a particular worker doesn’t have to take care of auxiliary tasks, they can concentrate on their own productivity. When they are relieved from those additional parts of their job, they can become more efficient at adding value, and could avoid wasting their time and attention. This makes the process increasingly leaner (for everyone except the water spider), and it’s easy to see how having a well-functioning water spider can boost overall efficiency. Simply stated, it makes everybody’s job more value-added with less waste, and therefore easier to standardize and optimize. The goal is to take all the wasted steps and consolidate them into the water spider role.

Requirements

While some floor managers might feel the urge to put a not-so-skilled worker in this position, this is not a good idea by any means. In order for a water spider to really boost productivity, they need to have a working understanding of the whole process, and need to be able to read the whole work space. They should be helpful at every workstation they service, and this requires knowledge and experience.

Additionally, the work the water spider does is quite time sensitive, and they should be able to remain on pace throughout the whole workday. When a water spider is underperforming, they can put the whole process in jeopardy by introducing blockages, shortages and general waste. That’s why a person that is going to take this position needs to develop a thorough understanding of the whole area they will be servicing. They will also be the first one to notice when problems arise, and should have a good working relationship with management, to raise the issue so it gets proper attention.

Check out the video below to learn more about Water Spiders

Possible Pitfalls

As the water spider’s rounds are time-sensitive, and timing should be part of their standardization, they might sometimes end up making too many empty rounds. This is an inefficiency that is often easy to overlook, but it should be addressed. Of course, as the water spider’s main role is to keep the whole process ticking, a small amount of inefficiency is to be expected. Remember, they are trying to optimize the system, not their own time, so that will naturally lead to some inefficiency. It can be deemed acceptable as long as the water spider manages to help boost the efficiency of the whole operation. Having a water spider sitting idle with nothing to do is a common occurrence and is necessary at times, as it allows them the free time to be able to respond quickly to needs in the process.

Additionally, sometimes managers might view water spiders as auxiliary, and therefore secondary in priority. This might lead to assigning them fill-in tasks, which might end up hurting the productivity of the whole facility. That’s why standardization is so important as it keeps the role focused on material handling.

Possibility for Growth

While the water spider position requires some experience and learning, it also presents a significant opportunity for professional growth, especially with Lean and Six Sigma. While working at this position, a person could learn a lot about how the factory floor of the company actually operates, In addition, they can learn about the actual people taking part in the process, and about the challenges faced in the day-to-day work. This is why it makes a lot of sense to treat the position as a way to groom a future team leader, supervisor or manager, instead of a “go-fer” or “catch all” job. Selecting an individual with significant potential will help them do this pivotal job well, but will also put them in a good position to be of even greater value in the future. In addition, they will be a great resource as a lean event facilitator, able to see the whole system, and highlight how each workstation fits within the system. That is why a good working relationship with workers and managers is important.

Conclusion

Implementing a water spider is a great way to put the value and principles of Lean Manufacturing into practice. It allows complex production processes to be optimized and boosted by decreasing variation and waste for the workers, and improving efficiency at every step of the way. Whenever a water spider is implemented properly as part of manufacturing process, it can boost productivity (for everyone else), while allowing the company to provide experience for future leaders.

Do you have a “water spider” position at your company? Do you call it “water spider” or something else? Add your comments below!

The post What is the Role of the Water Spider in Lean Manufacturing? appeared first on 6sigma.

What Are Different Types of Kanban

As Kanban is not a fixed methodology that has an ownership like Six Sigma, it can actually mean a few different things, and can be implemented in a number of different ways. On top of this, the term can be used in a number of different contexts, so it could mean different things to different people.

Where Does It Come from?

The idea behind Kanban was first developed in the 1940’s by Toyota. As they were looking for an efficient way to exercise logistical control, and to maintain efficient inventory levels, they turned their attention to American supermarkets. Their observations showed that in a supermarket, customers retrieve what they need from the shelves. As stock levels go down, this triggers the supermarket personnel to restock them. Toyota saw this as efficient for restocking parts, and decided to implement it on the factory floor.

In their implementation, each process was viewed as a customer to the prior process, so required components would be stocked or built only as they are needed and used. This meant that production could actually be regulated by demand as signals would pass through their production chain. The goal is to supply “what is needed, when it is needed, and in the amount needed“

The main innovation in their approach was to make all of this visual. The Japanese word kanban’ actually means signal or card, and this is what the original idea was based on. In order for this pull system to work, it required a way for signals to be passed. Toyota landed on was visual cards that had all the needed information on them.

Types of Kanban Based on the Usage

Toyota’s Kanban approach continued to develop, and as it was implemented in different environments. Its evolution branched into a few different types of Kanban, despite the fact that the differences are often a bit fluid. Still, exploring them can help us understand what Kanban has to offer as a whole.

Kanban Systems

This type of Kanban is what Toyota actually developed first. This is a system utilizing visual Kanban signals to trigger action. In this type of Kanban there are two types of Kanbans or Kanban Cards:

• Production Kanban which authorizes the workstation to produce a fixed amount of unit
• Transportation Kanban authorizes the transportation of a particular container to a downstream workstation.

The implementation of these cards creates a Kanban system that regulates itself, where items are not centralized. Each workstation or worker interacts with the cards they receive, which triggers them into action. There are variations on it with Kanban Bins, Card Holders or Racks, but they all iterate on the same basic mechanics that were inspired by the way supermarket restocks were triggered by customer demand.

Learn more about Kanban cards >>>

Kanban Boards

While Kanban Systems have Kanban Cards physically flow through the organization, there is another type of Kanban that has them posted in a central location. While it’s inspired by the Kanban logistic control systems used on factory floors, Kanban Boards put the Kanban Cards at a central location. This is an implementation of the Kanban principles that has distinctly different application and benefits.

A Kanban Board is actually a workflow visualization and management tool. It makes the tasks that a team or organization need to handle stand out in a visual way, that is accessible to everybody. This makes this approach much more flexible, and allows it to be useful in a much wider variety of applications and environments. The Kanban Board is separated in columns, which represent the discrete steps in a process a particular tasks needs to go through, in order to transform its status from impending to complete. Sticky notes are added to represent each task, and the team reviews the status of each action to determine how to move it to the next phase. That may require the task to be reassigned to someone else, or for leadership to get involved to help it move forward. The function of the Kanban implementation is to allow a team to prioritize, organize, and optimize their own workflow, while facilitating communication by providing clear visual information for all tasks.

Because of their flexibility, Kanban Boards have been implemented across many different industries, and can even be used by individuals to keep organized.

Learn more about Kanban boards >>>

The post What Are Different Types of Kanban appeared first on 6sigma.

How to Implement Kanban Cards

Kanban is a popular and powerful workflow visualization tool, and one of its main selling points is its simplicity. While the design of your Kanban system is important, one crucial factor that sometimes doesn’t get the attention it deserves, are the actual Kanban cards.

When you look at the Japanese meaning of the word Kanban, you’ll find out that it means either card or visual signal. This means that the cards are the actual namesake of this tool, which contains all the relevant information about what to do next. This is different than a kanban board, used to manage tasks in a project or office setting using sticky notes.

What Is a Kanban Card?

Kanban cards are a visual signal used to communicate that action is needed. When you encounter a card in your process, it means some action is needed to take place. On the card is written specific instructions about what to do. If the actions are completed, then the process continues to operate correctly. If the card is ignored, then problems arise over time.

Here is a good example of a simple kanban card system. At the Lean Enterprise Institute offices, they have a supply cabinet for tea. When the tea runs low, a card signals that more tea needs to be ordered. The card contains the relevant information to re-order more. There is enough time between the last box of tea and how long it takes to re-order more, so that they never run.

Read the entire example of kanban used for office tea boxes on Mark Graban’s blog >>>

The Standard Key Features of a Kanban Card

As mentioned above, the most important job of the Kanban card is to make vital information easily accessible. It needs to be visual and easily comprehensible, so the team members that look at it would be able to infer as much of the data it represents at a single glance. On top of this, it should include additional details, so important information will be readily available to everybody.

The Front Side of the Kanban Card

The front side of the Kanban card is what everybody sees at first glance, so it needs to include the most crucial information. It needs to communicate what’s essential without being cluttered. This can also be done through color coding, where each card color represents a different task or responsible person.

The first thing that the card cannot go without is a name of the task or activity it represents, such as “Call customer and request shipping approval”

Additionally, it usually includes the name or names of people responsible for it, and how long they have to complete the task. It might also include the batch size to perform the task (such as “group of 3” but ideally all tasks are done one at a time).

If the cards are part of re-ordering items, it might include part numbers, cost centers, ID numbers, location/department, supplier name, customer name, number of cards in the system, etc. These should be the most relevant information for the person needing to take an action.

The Back Side of the Kanban Card

While the front side of the card needs to make vital information readily available, the back side might include things that are important that don’t need to be visible at all times. Very often the flip side of a Kanban card is reserved for more detailed instructions, if the front of the card isn’t sufficient. It might reference a procedure number, a checklist of tasks to complete, a contact person to ask if there are questions, or any other information that doesn’t fit on the front of the card. Not all kanban cards have information on the back, so this is optional.

Here is an example of a kanban card used to signal that more left-handed smoke-shifters need to be re-ordered from Acme.

Want to learn more about kanban cards? Check out an introductory video from Gemba Academy >>>

The post How to Implement Kanban Cards appeared first on 6sigma.