The Kanban module is used to manage material flow by expediting part ordering. Unlike forecast scheduling, Kanban relies on replenishment. Customers send and track Kanban signals, which represent that a designated number of parts (standard pack) are required to be sent to a particular Ship To. As parts are consumed, customers create and send new signals.

The Kanban module is tied directly to the existing demand and shipping components. Signals correspond to demand schedules against which suppliers ship.

Kanban Views

You can view and track Kanban signals through the Kanban Console. The Kanban Console uses color-coding to visually indicate signal status. Users can drill into the console to view detail information.

Using the View Parts and Pull Signals option from the Kanban menu tab, you can view signal detail or print bar code labels.

Kanban Cycle and Signal Status

Kanban signals (or pull signals) represent a required quantity to be sent to a specific Ship To. Through the Kanban process, signals move through a cycle, changing status during different phases.

  1. Created - When a Kanban signal is created, it has a Created status. A release and schedule for the demand is generated and stored, waiting to be sent.
  2. At Supplier - After a Kanban signal is created, it is sent and the signal status becomes At Supplier, indicating that the request for parts has been sent. The corresponding demand release is activated and becomes available to be shipped against.
  3. In-Transit - When you ship against a signal's demand, the signal status becomes In-Transit, indicating that the parts represented by the signal are on the way to the customer location.
  4. In-House - When the customer receives the shipment against a Kanban signal, the status becomes In-House, indicating that the parts represented by the signal are at the customer location. A shipment is received when a receipt is sent that corresponds to the shipment or when the customer changes the status to In-House.
  5. Consumed - When the customer has used the parts represented by the signal during production, the signal status is moved to Consumed.
  6. Archived - When a Consumed signal is replaced by a newly Created signal, the Consumed signal moves to an Archived status. Archived signals represent a signal history where you can track older signals and shipments. A customer setting determines how long signals remain in the Archived status.