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Implementing A Replenishment Pull System Using KanbanApril 1, 2008 Pull is one of the key principles of lean thinking. There are essentially two different types of pull systems: sequential pull and replenishment (or supermarket) pull. In sequential pull, the downstream customer pulls parts from the upstream supplying process in the sequence in which the supplying process produces; that is the supplying process dictates the sequence of work. Sequential pull limits the amount of inventory between the two processes. In replenishment pull, the downstream customer pulls from a supermarket according to what it needs (based on a schedule dictated by its customer). The supermarket is replenished by the supplying process. In this article, I will describe a case study in which a California manufacturer implemented replenishment pull between an injection molding operation and two assembly cells. The company had 12 plastic injection molding machines. Each produced a number of components that were assembled into a finished product by the assembly cells. Before the implementation the company had about 10 days of injection molded inventory (WIP). There were also a significant number of material shortages affecting the productivity of the assembly cells. A kaizen team consisting of a materials person, assembly and injection molding operators, an industrial engineer, an area supervisor, and a few employees from outside the area was formed. After spending day one in training and mapping out the current state process, the team discovered significant waste in the process:
After analyzing material usage and variability in usage, the team created and properly sized a supermarket of plastic materials. The system would work as follows:
The new system resulted in a 90% reduction in shortages and 70% reduction in WIP (from 10 days to 3 days). Click here to subscribe to our free e-newsletter Learning to Lean and receive three articles like this one each month. About the Author Darren Dolcemascolo is an internationally recognized lecturer, author, and consultant. As Sr. Partner and co-founder of EMS Consulting Group, he specializes in productivity and quality improvement through lean manufacturing. Mr. Dolcemascolo has written the book Improving the Extended Value Stream: Lean for the Entire Supply Chain, published by Productivity Press in 2006. He has also been published in several manufacturing publications and has spoken at such venues as the Lean Management Solutions Conference, Outsourcing World Summit, Biophex, APICS, and ASQ. He has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Columbia University and an MBA with Graduate Honors from San Diego State University. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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