ABSTRACT
Kanbans facilitate inventory management by providing a sign or signal for replenishment. The empty bin becomes the kanban signal or trigger visually indicating that the bin needs to be replenished. The kanban system can be a one-bin system as well if the parts are replenished every day. Safety stock formulas are confusing, and to understand the kanban and safety stock formulas, people first need to understand that there are in essence two different minimums derived in the formulas. Kanban systems are sometimes referred to as supermarkets since they were the premise for the idea. The water spider pulled the kanban cards from the Heijunka box to get the right circuit boards from the surface mounted device supermarket for assembly cells. Kanbans have been used in the traditional stock room where a minimum cycle count from a master bin signals the supplier from the warehouse management system to replenish the bin.
