{"id":69994,"date":"2024-03-27T14:00:15","date_gmt":"2024-03-27T19:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/?p=69994"},"modified":"2026-04-28T14:47:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T19:47:23","slug":"kanban-in-manufacturing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.projectmanager.com\/blog\/kanban-in-manufacturing","title":{"rendered":"Kanban in Manufacturing: Main Uses & Benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kanban in manufacturing originated in World War II where it was used in the manufacturing of Spitfires for the Royal Air Force in the UK. Then it was known as the two-bin system. After the war, the Japanese car manufacturer Toyota looked at how supermarkets stocked only what they expected to sell at a given time. This led to improvements in manufacturing efficiency.<\/p>\n

Kanban in manufacturing and production has many uses, which we detail below, as well as how it relates to lean and just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing. To further illustrate kanban in manufacturing, we\u2019ll show a visual example of it at work and outline the key advantages of using this scheduling system as well as how project management software can advance its benefits.<\/p>\n

What Is Kanban?<\/h2>\n

Kanban is a visual method for managing workflow and production. It\u2019s a Japanese word that means billboard as it looks like a board with cards attached. It’s a flexible scheduling system that can be applied to manufacturing, agile, DevOps and virtually any repeatable process. Kanban<\/a> can also be used as an inventory control system used in just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing, which limits the buildup of excess inventory. Done properly, kanban can reduce expenses, improve customer satisfaction, create more efficient processes and limit risk.<\/p>\n

At its most basic level, it’s a board that’s divided into columns of to do, doing and done. On this board are cards that represent specific tasks. The kanban cards move across the kanban board as they go from one production stage to the next. This provides a visual representation of where the work is and helps managers identify potential roadblocks and remove them before they hinder progress.<\/p>\n

Kanban boards can be actual boards with paper kanban cards pinned to them and physically moved from column to column as work is completed. They can be displayed in the workplace to provide everyone with a visual representation of where they are in the manufacturing process, which serves both those doing the work as well as sales informing customers on delivery dates and procurement, ensuring there’s always enough inventory to keep producing.<\/p>\n

Digitalizing kanban boards has only increased their ability to limit the buildup of excess inventory throughout production. Many project management software products have kanban features. ProjectManager<\/a> is award-winning project and portfolio management software with robust kanban boards that can manage tasks and workflows more efficiently. Images and documents can be attached to kanban cards, which can also have descriptions, subtasks, tags, priority, planned start, duration, due dates and more. Visual workflows make it easy to identify bottlenecks and custom workflows can be made with automation features to streamline manual, repetitive work. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.<\/p>\n

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ProjectManager\u2019s kanban boards help manage tasks and workflows. Learn more<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Key Uses of Kanban in Manufacturing and Production<\/h2>\n

The kanban board<\/a> gained popularity in manufacturing and production due to its ability to help reduce waste and increase production process efficiency. Therefore, kanban in manufacturing can be applied to various aspects of the work. We listed some key uses of kanban in manufacturing and production below.<\/p>\n

Kanban Inventory Management<\/h3>\n

Using kanban in manufacturing can help maintain the optimal production inventory levels. It does this by signaling when inventory needs to be produced or ordered. By doing this, inventory levels are never too high or too low. This has multiple benefits, such as saving money, improving cash flow and reducing waste with kanban in manufacturing. This helps reduce overstocking items, which add to warehouse costs, or understocking, which can disrupt production. Our free inventory template for Excel<\/a> can help you manage your production inventory.<\/p>\n

Order Management<\/h3>\n

Kanban gives a visual overview of the ordering and procurement process.<\/a> It shows who’s working on what and its latest status. Just as with inventory, when an item is running low, the person using the parts can make up the order for the amount needed, which is sent to the supplier who provides the requested amount.<\/p>\n

Task Management<\/h3>\n

Kanban systems are a visual workflow management<\/a> tool and in that capacity, they give project managers visibility into the team\u2019s work, which allows them to track their team\u2019s progress in completing that work. It also limits work-in-progress, which permits teams to focus on only critical tasks and maximize efficiency or flow. This allows project teams to execute their tasks faster.<\/p>\n

Workflow Management<\/h3>\n

Kanban workflows are a step-by-step process of the life cycle of a task, from start to finish. This is illustrated with the simple kanban workflow of three columns on the boards: to do, doing and done. The kanban cards, which represent the tasks, then move sequentially from the first state to the last. Kanban in manufacturing can use workflow as a visual process management system for continuous delivery and production planning<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Supply Chain Management<\/h3>\n

Kanban systems can also be used to create supply chain visibility<\/a> for both suppliers and buyers. As noted, it limits the buildup of excess inventory throughout the production line. It also limits the number of items waiting at supply points and reduces inefficiencies by identifying and removing them.<\/p>\n

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