ABSTRACT
This chapter helps the reader to understand the role of visual signals in Lean and describe the main types of visual signals that can be used. It also helps the reader to be familiar with kanban and their use in supply chains. Process Boards are often used to display the overall status of a process. This can be very useful when it is difficult to see an entire process at once, and when it is useful to convey the current status to people as quickly as possible. The commonest use of Kanban in health and social care is to ensure that supplies are available in the right place at the right time to allow staff to deliver a good service. Kanbans originally referred to a slip of paper on which supervisors wrote the work they were producing, which were then shared with other supervisors to get a complete idea of what was being produced.
