The Kanban Playbook

Chapter 5

In-Process Kanban

What Is a Pull System?

• Production of items as demanded or needed by external and internal customers
• Production of items as needed by other processes

External and Internal Customers

• External customers: These are your actual customers purchasing your final product. External customers trigger work in the factory.
  • Dealers, distributors, end users
• Internal customers: These are manufacturing or support processes in the facility, sending parts, material, and supplies to each other. Internal customers then trigger work within each production process.
• These processes provide necessary items to each other so they can perform work:
  • Fabrication
  • Painting
  • Assembly
  • Welding
  • Packaging
  • Stockroom or warehouse
  • Production control

Process ...