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What Are Kanban Cards With Kanban Card Example? (Kanban Card Template)

Kanban cards are an essential element of Kanban. In fact, translated from Japanese, a Kanban means a visual (kan) card (ban).

Kanban cards imply the requirement to move products within a production center or to move materials from an external provider into the production facility. Therefore, the Kanban card is a message that signals the depletion of an item, parts, or inventory.

When a Kanban card is obtained, the card (Kanban) activates replenishment of that product, part, or stock. So the consumption center drives demand for more production, and the Kanban card signals a request for more items. In summary, Kanban cards help produce a demand-driven system.

Supporters of lean movement extensively hold demand-driven systems result in much faster turnarounds in production and end-user delivery.

Lower stock levels help companies carry out these systems much more competitive. That enables companies to use their available resources optimally.

Most Kanban cards consist of a minimum of the following Kanban card template (Kanban card example), while the specific details included on a Kanban card example can differ from one system to another.

• Part description,
• Part / Item number,
• Ani dentifying bar code or QR code,
• The number of parts to be ordered, produced or transported,
• Routing info (associated upstream and downstream processes),
• Location information,
• Lead time,
• Supplier,
• The accountable individual (mostly a coordinator),
• The order date,
• The due date,
• Type of container,
• Order of containers (for example, Kanban card 2 of 4).

Cards are usually fixed to a container, efficiently turning a bin into a Kanban. In other cases, a Kanban card is temporarily attached to shelves of bins.

These Kanban cards (signal cards) are an integral part of a Kanban system to manage inventory. A Kanban card must be treated like a highly regulated item. Losing one can quickly close down a production line and fully interrupt the production until the missing parts are again available.