Stop the Slow and Wrong Replenishments: Use the E-kanban

 

 

In the previous episode, we focused on the importance of always having all components available to produce without interruption. We chose the point of view of the operator who runs out of material and requests it.

In this article, we consider the point of view of the person in charge of the replenishment. They’re the operators who receive requests and bring new material to the warehouse or to the lines. They must ensure that colleagues can work smoothly without worrying about part numbers.

 

 

To keep it simple, in this article, we won’t talk about the relationships with external suppliers.

 

 

The picking operator could seem like a simple job. However, it hides the risk of

  • Waste of time
  • Loss of components
  • Material misplacement on the shelves

It is, therefore, essential to put operators in the best condition to perform it.

 

 

Optimize material collection in three steps

1. Organize inventory

To begin with, the operator needs to know exactly where to go to get the items. Even before optimizing the process, it is a priority to organize stocks. Deciding where materials should be stored and categorizing them allows for an orderly warehouse. The operator will learn how to move and will immediately go to the correct shelf or area.

 

2. Abolish fixed restocking days

In some companies, the illusion lingers that routine is synonymous with efficiency. Operators perform the task on fixed days and times and move the same number of components.

However, there may be times when production spikes or inflexes. In these cases, it is likely that stocks are not aligned with actual needs. There will be missing parts, or accumulated material that can jeopardize operators’ safety.

By removing fixed days, the operator acts only when there is a real need for replenishment. The activity then automatically becomes a value-added one.

 

3. Set up a worklist (and digitize it)

There is a simple way to ensure that the operator always knows what materials to restore and in what quantity. It is the e-Kanban.

The software keeps track of all material requests and automatically creates the Worklist. This is the always-updated list of all materials to be restored. It comes with quantity and location (where to pick them up and where to take them).

As a first step, the operator opens the Worklist. They get the parts list, but they can also print out the Kanban cards right away, which they will then affix to the new containers. This saves additional time.

 

The best -or, rather, the convenience-is yet to come.

 

By printing of the cards, a card representing the entire Worklist will also be printed. Its barcode “includes” all the codes of the other cards.

As the operator replenishes the boxes, he does not have to scan the barcode of each card to inform that it is back in stock. He can simply scan the Worklist barcode to massively update the status of all the boxes he is working on.

For example, when they scan for the first time, the status of materials may become “In Process”; once picking is finished and the boxes are placed, the scan will set the status to “Full.”

This way, errors are minimized, and the working time is optimized.

 

 

How to activate the worklist in your organization

The worklist is an easy-to-use KanbanBOX feature that brings immediate and tangible benefits to the operators who use it.

Deciding when to use it and how to set it up depends on how the internal processes are structured.

If the boxes contain the same material to be placed on the same shelf in the warehouse, scanning the barcode once is the most convenient method.

On the other hand, if the process involves restoring different materials in different areas, the operator may want to scan one barcode at a time.

The same goes for how to set up worklists. You can have more than one, divided by supplier, item type, or other parameters.

We need to remember that software exists to support us. They must adapt to the process we have defined to be the best for our organization and department, not vice versa.

Watch the video below to see the worklist in action!