Flow, Pull, Kanban

ELEVATE BRANDS
ACCELERATE PERFORMANCE

July 2017
Lean House Simply Introduction

Operational
excellence
Best Cost, Quality & Delivery

Just In Time Jidoka

➢Takt time ➢Andon system
➢Pull system ➢Poka-yoke
➢Continuous flow ➢5Why
➢Robust engineering
➢TQM

Standard work Heijunka(Leveling) Kaizen

Stability
Empowerment and Total involvement
What is JIT (Just In Time)

● Right Parts
● Right Time
● Right Quantity

How to achieve
● Takt time-produce at speed of customer demand
● Pull system
● Continuous Flow

Introduction
Flow

● Movement of materials, information, services and knowledge

● A perfect process has continuous flow as information, service

and knowledge are transformed continuously without delay
from step to step

● Flow is created by eliminating queues and stops, facilitating

improved process flexibility & reliability
Designing Flow – Making it Easy for Customers to “Pull” Value

● Sandwiches in 1 piece flow

● Actions driven by pull signals

● The flow is seamless – little waste

in the handoffs

● The work is organized into a value

stream that is visible, complete, well
understood, and supported by
standardized work
2 Ways to Control Shop Floor Production

The two ways to control the day-to-day

production and material flow on the shop floor
are:

The “Push” System

1. ______________________

The “Pull” System

2. ______________________

Introduction
Push vs. Pull

Definitions
● Also known as Material Replenishment Planning
Push System (MRP)
● A complex, computerized inventory production
planning system with rules and procedures that
support push/batch manufacturing.
● Example?

● Downstream processes fetch from upstream

Material Pull System processes only the goods that are needed, when
they are needed, and only in the required
amounts.
● Only use pull where you cannot flow:
○ Long cure times
○ Long lead time processes
○ Upstream processes operating in batch (ex.
Paint Systems, Heat Treat, Lasers, Wave
Solder, etc.)
● Example?

.
 Push vs. Pull
Information flows from a central Information flows in the opposite
source, unrelated to material flow. direction, as material flows.

Material Push Material Pull

Part Part Final Part Part Final

supplie

custome
supplie

custome
Casting Machini Assemb Assemb Casting Machini Assemb Assemb
Process ng ly ly Process ng ly ly
Process Process Line Process Process Line

r
r

r
r “Make” “Make” “Make”
Signal Signal Signal
Finite
Schedules Customer
Demand

Production Production
Control Control

Introduction
 Push System

Information flows from a central

source, unrelated to material flow. ▪ Each process is scheduled to
run independently, disregarding
the needs of the next process.
Material Push
▪ The output of the process is
pushed into inventory for the
next process.
▪ There are no limits on
Part Part Final
supplie

custome
Casting Machini Assemb Assemb
Process ng ly ly
Process Process Line
inventories between processes.
r

The goal is machine utilization.

r
▪ Scheduling is centralized and
Finite lots of expediting and re-
Schedules scheduling are needed to meet
customer demand
Production
Control

Introduction
Pull System
● The supplier process cannot
produce parts, if its customer (next
Information flows in the opposite process) does not signal the need.
direction, as material flows.
● The customer process withdraws
(pulls) parts from the supplier
Material
Pull
process’s supermarket when it
needs parts.
Part Part
Final
● The inventories between processes
supplie

custome
Casting Machini Assem
Assem
Proces ng bly
bly
s Proces Proces
Line are subject to maximum/minimum
s s
levels. The goal is to satisfy your
r

r
customer and be profitable.
“Make” “Make” “Make
Signal Signal ”
Signal ● No centralized control needed to
Customer meet customer demand – control is
Demand
local – only one point in the value
stream is actually scheduled – this
Production
Control is often called the pacemaker.

Introduction
Batch Processes

Elapsed Time (Min)

Receive Application
Enter Customer Data
Customer Look up
Risk Review
Produce Card

Lead Time = 20 Minutes

Lead times are long because each process step is batched and must wait for the others to
be completed before the next process can be started.
Flow Processes

Elapsed Time (Min)

Receive Application
Enter Customer Data
Customer Look up
Risk Review
Produce Card

Lead Time = 8 Minutes

Using one piece flow, lead time is reduced and Quality is improved!
Pull

● Couple processes with “pull” when flow is not possible

● End Customer initiates pull process

● Each step in the process takes the information or knowledge it

needs, when needed from the preceding process

● Only the amount required is taken

● No action is taken until the downstream process initiates it

Video-1 on Push & Pull
Goals of a Pull System

● Synchronized, streamlined, one-piece production

● Produce one unit of product at any time

● Perfect quality to the customer

● Near zero lead time

● Closer match between the production plan and the order schedule

● Only planned and necessary inventory is carried

Kanban

Definition Benefits Expected Outcomes

● Kanban means “signal” as ● Reduction in Inventory ($) ● Separates process velocity
in to signal for more from MRP velocity
material
● Improve On-Time-Delivery
● Enhances control of lumpy
● Signals both starting processes
production and stopping ● Enables flow (through
production proper use of waste)
● Enables visual scheduling
(where ‘scheduling’ is
● Used to overcome current ● Easier to identify and solve necessary)
“obstacles” to flow problems

● Right-sizes use of
● Kanban in itself is 100% ● Improves scheduling inventory, people and
waste frequency from ‘daily or equipment
weekly’ to ‘real time’
How Kanban Works: Two-Bin System Example

Two containers are stored

within the consuming cell
(typically at the work area)

Supplying
Department

Customer Raw Material

Consuming Cell
How Kanban Works: Two-Bin System Example

Operator uses up the

parts in the first container

Supplying
Department

Customer Raw Material

Consuming Cell
How Kanban Works: Two-Bin System Example

Material Handler returns

empty bin and/or withdrawal
kanban to the supplying
department for replenishment

Operator uses Supplying

2nd container Department

Customer Raw Material

Consuming Cell Material

Handler
How Kanban Works: Two-Bin System Example

Material Handler replenishes

the cell with a full container

Authorization to produce
another container (regular
production kanban only)
Supplying
Department

Customer Raw Material

Consuming Cell
Pull example (1) – How to kanban work

Introduction
Pull system (2)
Video-2 on Push & Pull

Open discuss