Kanban

The Kanban functionality is used to manage material flow by expediting part ordering. You can send and track Kanban signals, which represent that a designated number of parts (standard pack) are required to be sent to a ship to location. You can create and send new signals when the parts are consumed.

Kanban views

You can view and track Kanban signals through the Kanban console. The Kanban console uses color-code to indicate the signal status. You can use the console to drill down and review detailed information.

You can use the View Parts and Pull Signals option from the Kanban menu to view signal detail or print bar code labels.

Kanban cycle and signal status

Kanban signals (or pull signals) represent a required quantity to be sent to a specific ship to location. The signals move in a cyclic manner using Kanban and the status changes during different phases. These are the status which changes during different phases:

  • Created: The Kanban signal is created. A release and schedule for the demand is generated and saved that are to be sent.
  • At Supplier: The Kanban signal is sent to the supplier. This indicates that the request for parts has been sent.
  • In-Transit: The supplier ships against a signal's demand. This indicates that the parts represented by the signal are on the way to the ship to location.
  • In-House: The shipment against a Kanban signal is received. This indicates that the parts represented by the signal are at the customer location. A shipment is received when a receipt is sent that corresponds to the shipment or when the customer changes the status to In-House.
  • Consumed: When the customer has used the parts represented by the signal during production, the signal status is moved to Consumed.
  • Archived: When a consumed signal is replaced by a new created signal, the consumed signal moves to an Archived status. Archived signals represent a signal history where you can track older signals and shipments. A customer setting determines how long signals remain in the Archived status.