ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the first phase of implementing Paired-cell Overlapping Loops of Cards with Authorization (POLCA). It presents cited symptoms experienced by companies that decided to implement POLCA. The chapter highlights the importance of having top management on board prior to implementing POLCA. POLCA is designed to be just such a system, but—just like the transatlantic flight—it needs to work in the context of an effective planning system. The POLCA system requires for its operation Authorization Dates and Authorization Lists. In companies, a job can travel back and forth across the shop floor in what is popularly called "spaghetti flow." Without the basics in place at the cells, the POLCA implementation will not achieve its full potential, or may fail altogether. It is important to understand that POLCA is a control system, not a planning system. The function of a control system is to help execute a plan effectively.
