Kanban benefits

Robust and reliable production is the backbone of any industrial company. The core idea: by reducing the stock of goods through a permanent outflow, a concrete control system ensures sufficient supply at any point of the process. Kanban is Japanese and can be translated as “card”, it forms the implementation of the pull or fetch principle. Originally invented in 1947 by Taiichi Ohno for production at Toyota, it was specifically adapted to information technology in the mid-2000s. Nowadays the Kanban benefits are nearly countless.

What exactly are the Kanban benefits? We’ll show you!

The benefits of a Kanban board: How do I achieve maximum efficiency?

Basically Kanban is based on the organization of a multi-stage production process. The focus is on interconnected control loops. Each of these control loops represents a specific production stage as well as an upstream material store. As soon as materials are needed, they come from this area – any shortages are replenished independently, i.e. decentralized.

The Kanban benefits within the system lie in the fact that a distribution system oriented to consumption is established. It is based on the just-in-time principle and enables companies to reduce inventories so that only the quantity actually required is kept in stock. This reduces the required capacities at warehouses, and less capital is tied up in inventories. Further Kanban benefits lie in the fact that Kanban establishes a system of the self-organization. Faster throughput times, a reduced error rate (goods rejects) and an optimized value chain make the difference.

Important: Of course there are also Kanban system benefits and limitations, which are mainly associated with the high degree of standardization. Your company is active in project manufacturing? The Kanban benefits would be rather unsuitable here, as well as in case of a strongly fluctuating material demand. The better production processes can be planned, the more likely you can use Kanban benefits for your purposes.

Project management with Kanban: Benefits by a high agility

Now that we have clarified the basics, we would like to focus more on the Kanban benefits and their use in project management. Kanban is based on the principle of constant change; the permanent change is comparable to the engine of a car. Are you looking for a tool to turn your organization around? Kanban benefits include being particularly well suited for the first steps of such a transformation.

Did you know? David Anderson from Microsoft took Kanban benefits as a base and developed an adaptation especially for the software industry. Basic principles from areas such as lean production and lean product development came into play, supplemented by a theory of constraints and approaches from classic risk management.

The Kanban benefits in the context of information technology:

• The starting point is always the status quo, the point at which one currently finds oneself
• Leadership is to be promoted on all levels within the organization
• Changes of evolutionary kind, which work incrementally, are aimed at
• Kanban respects and integrates existing roles, procedures, and processes.

The Kanban benefits are not focused on a specific goal, but on the pursuit of continuous change for the better. It focuses on the value chains, but also considers the human being as an actor in this process. As a Kanban Coach it is your task to support the process through expertise and consulting and to increase the degree of self-organization.

Kanban benefits: IFAAI provides the basis for Kanban Certifications

Do you want to expand your knowledge and make an active contribution to the further development of your organization? Then IFAAI, as the first globally recognized meta-certification agile institute, offers you various Kanban Coach Level Exams. We empower you to integrate simplicity and straightforwardness into your everyday life and offer a range of recognized certifications.

Questions? Contact us anytime, we are happy to help you and show you which Kanban benefits will help you!