KANBAN
KANBAN is a system to manage the resupply of parts in production chains (material flows management). The stations that need certain components report their need to the suppliers. They can bring their empty containers to a particular place and receive full containers in return. Or the supplies are ordered with a card (Japanese: kanban) that contains information about the type and amount of the desired parts.
The objective of KANBAN is to keep the necessary inventories at a position as low as possible in order to flexibly react to changes in demand. The KANBAN system was developed in 1947 by the Japanese company Toyota. The system is user driven. This means that the material flow in the logistics chain is triggered by the consuming workstation (pull principle).
Key-indicator system
Key indicators are used to measure the efficiency and effectiveness of logistics systems. Key indicators reflect empirically observable and measurable circumstances that describe the goal of logistics as precisely as possible (e.g., share of logistics costs in revenues, transport costs, inventory costs, cycle times, delivery reliability). In a system of key indicators, various figures are hierarchically arranged. As a result, the information needs of various recipients of the key indicators can be addressed in a special way.
Kitting
The term “kitting” comes from procurement and production logistics. In kitting, the logistician puts together components based on the customer’s needs, and delivers the entire group either as an assembly kit or as a pre-assembled unit. As a result, the customer can reduce storage capacity and accelerate the production of final products. This method usually requires on-time deliveries and detailed knowledge about the needs for the required assembly kits.
