Card-based control systems for a lean work design : the fundamentals of Kanban, ConWIP, POLCA, and COBACABANA Matthias Thurer, Mark Stevenson, Charles Protzman

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Basic Concepts Highlights What Is a Production/Service System? What Is a Business Operation/Process? What Does a Card-Based Control System Actually Control? Why Use a Card-Based Control System Rather than the Latest Technology? Summary: What Card-Based Control Systems Do (And What They Do Not Do) 20 Highlights Revisited Basic Principles Underpinning a Card-Based Control System Highlights Input/Output Control Visualizing the Stability of the Shop Floor/Station: The Throughput Diagram Summary: Input/Output Control Underpinning Card-Based Control Highlights Revisited Simplified Scheduling through Pool Sequencing and a Shop Floor Dispatching Rule Highlights Some Rules for Priority Dispatching on the Shop Floor Visualizing On-Time Performance: The Order Progress Diagram Summary: Simplified Scheduling through Priority Dispatching Highlights Revisited How to Diagnose a Control Problem? Highlights Criterion 1: Make/Produce/Assemble/Build/Serve, etc. To-Stock or To-Order Criterion 2: The Customer Penetration (Inventory/Order Separation) Point Criterion 3: Routing Characteristics Criterion 4: Variability and Uncertainty in Resource Requirements Summary: Diagnosing the Control Problem Highlights Revisited The Inventory Control Problem: Kanban Systems Highlights Kanban for the Internal Supply Chain: The Six Rules of Kanban Systems Work-in-Process Kanban vs. Production Kanban Kanban for Shop Floor Control Applicability of Kanban Systems Summary: Kanban Systems Highlights Revisited The Low Variability Order Control Problem: ConWIP Highlights ConWIP: How Does It Work? The Applicability of ConWIP Summary: ConWIP Highlights Revisited Inventory Control Plus Material Requirements Planning for the Order Control Problem: POLCA Highlights Paired-Cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorization (POLCA): How Does It Work? Applicability of POLCA Summary: POLCA Highlights Revisited How to Solve the High Variety Order Control Problem: COBACABANA Highlights Control of Balance by Card-Based Navigation (COBACABANA) COBACABANA: How Does It Work? Balancing Workloads: The Main Order Release Function of COBACABANA COBACABANA Recognizes the Difference between Direct and Indirect Work Simplifying the Need for Processing Time Estimations COBACABANA and High Processing Time Variability: Starvation Avoidance Premature Station Idleness and Order Release Summary: COBACABANA Highlights Revisited COBACABANA's Card-Based System for Delivery Time Estimation Highlights Card-Based Delivery Time Estimation: How Does It Work? COBACABANA as a Comprehensive System Using the Salesperson's Display for Output Control Summary: COBACABANA's Delivery Date Estimation Procedure Highlights Revisited Summary: Framework of Applicability Highlights Loop Structure and Its Implications for the Application of Card-Based Systems Card Properties and Their Implications for the Application of Card-Based Systems The Need for IT Support and Its Implications for the Application of Card-Based Systems Final Considerations: Nested Card-Based Control Systems Implementation Information References Appendix: Summary of Card-Based Systems Index.

This book takes a different approach to most other books on the subject―as it starts with an introduction to the control problem, instead of the control solution. Card-Based Control Systems for a Lean Work Design outlines how the problems encountered in typical manufacturing shops and service providers can be characterized, which allows for improved problem diagnosis.