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Kanban Card Design

Christoph Roser December 6, 2016

A kanban is, in its basics, information to reproduce or reorder parts. Hence, in its most basic form it has to say “make me this part” or “bring me this part.” While such very simple kanban systems are possible, usually it helps to include other information on the kanban card. In this post I want to talk about the design details of a kanban card, especially what kind of information we should include on the card. Please note that the items on the list below are suggestions. Which ones you actually include depend on the system you want to establish.

Interview on the David Pakman Show on the Future of Manufacturing

Christoph Roser November 29, 2016

Recently I had the exciting opportunity to be interviewed on the David Pakman Show on American TV, where I talked about the future of manufacturing, especially in America. Our subjects of discussion ranged from “bringing jobs back,” to the presidential election, to the carbon tax and many more current issues. Here’s the full video and also the transcript:

Line Layout Strategies – Part 3: Merging

Christoph Roser November 22, 2016

In my last two posts (here 1 and here 2) I discussed line layouts, including the famous U-line. In the last post of this small series, I would like to wrap up the line layout discussions, looking at merging material flows and other things.

Line Layout Strategies – Part 2: I-, U-, S-, and L-Lines

Christoph Roser November 15, 2016

The layout of a line can make quite a difference in the performance of your line. The U-line is most famous, although in my view while good it may not be the right thing for all situations. There is also the I-line, the S-line, and the U-line. In my last post I described some general thoughts on line design and took a look at the big picture. In this post I want to look at and compare actual line layouts, in particularly the I, U, S, and L layout. Let me give you an overview of the different options.

Line Layout Strategies – Part 1: The Big Picture

Christoph Roser November 8, 2016

In flow shops, you have a production line of some sort. This may be an assembly line or a manufacturing line; this may be automatic or manual. In lean, you often hear about the famous U-line.

While this is a great solution, it may not fit all problems. Depending on the surrounding conditions, a different line layout may be beneficial. This post is the first in a series on line layout. In this post I would like to discuss what you should consider when designing a new line layout. The next post will look at actual line layout options.

Loss of Material: Theft!

Christoph Roser November 1, 2016

Most of the material you purchase eventually goes (hopefully) to the customer. Some will be waste, others may be scrap. Yet a small part is also likely to be stolen, probably by your own employees.

In this post I will look at the effects of theft and give you some industry examples.

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