
110 ◾ Creating a Lean Culture: Tools to Sustain Lean Conversions
This is a particular application of the golf ball method of signaling devel-
oped in Japanese factories. The difference is that instead of color-coded golf
balls arriving at a subassembly station to signal the model or type of unit
starting into final assembly, an electronic signal arrives on a screen or prints
as a label at the beginning of the subassembly process—just like an order
for a bean burrito with no cheese. These are flexible and powerful applica-
tions, as long as the server does not go down!
CASE STUDY 4.10: USING THE NETWORK AS A CALCULATOR
Another application where IT ...