Visual Interactive Simulation Shows How to Use the Kanban Method in Small Business

• Published in: Interfaces (Providence) Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 22 - 33
• Main Authors: Gravel, Marc, Price, Wilson L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Linthicum INFORMS 01-09-1991; The Institute of Management Sciences and the Operations Research Society of America; Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
• Subjects: Advantages; Gravel; industries: textiles/apparel; Installations; Interactive; Inventories; Job shops; Just in time; Kanban; Modeling; Pilot projects; Plants; Production management; production/scheduling: job shop; Simulation; Simulations; Small and medium sized enterprises; Visual aids; Work stations; Canada
• ISSN: 0092-2102; 2644-0865; 1526-551X; 2644-0873
• DOI: 10.1287/inte.21.5.22

Visual simulation allowed us to show the managers of a small clothing plant how the Kanban method could help them, to persuade them to accept it, and to support its implementation. A nonvisual simulation on a minicomputer did not convince managers that the potential benefits of the Kanban method could be obtained in the shop. A series of three visual simulations on microcomputers effectively demonstrated the method and its performance advantages. Managers better understood the nature of the model and its workings. As a result, a pilot project was set up, leading in turn to the adoption of the method in the plant.