- Electronic Kanban
Electronic Kanban (sometimes referred to as eKanban [ [http://www.microsoft.com/business/momentum/content/article.aspx?contentId=760 Momentum, the midsize business center newsletter: Taking control of costs ] ] ) is a signaling system that utilizes a mix of technology to trigger the movement of materials within a manufacturing or production facility. Electronic Kanban differs from traditional Kanban in that it uses technology to replace traditional elements such as Kanban cards with barcodes and electronic messages.
A typical electronic Kanban system will see inventory marked with barcodes which are scanned at various stages of the manufacturing process to signal usage, messages are then relayed to internal/external stores to ensure restocking of products. Electronic Kanban often utilizes the internet as a method of routing messages to external suppliers [International Manufacturing Strategies: Context, Content and Change By Christopher A. Voss, Kathryn L. Blackmon, Per Lindberg ISBN 0792380614] and as a means to allow a real time view of inventory, via a portal, throughout the supply chain.
Organizations such as the Ford motor company [ Visual Tools: Collected Practices and Cases By Productivity Press ISBN 1563273314 ] have utilized Electronic Kanban systems to improve processes.
Systems are now widespread from single solutions or bolt on modules to ERP systems
ee also
*
Kanban
* Just In Time
*Lean manufacturing References
Further reading
[http://www.supplyworks.com/news/material_handling_mgmt_0305.pdf Kanban E-volution by David Drickhamer]
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