Process a fixed kanban

8 minutes

Kanban processing for process jobs

When a kanban is planned, either automatically or by adding to the Kanban schedule board, the kanban is then available for reporting on the Kanban board for process jobs page. By using this page, you can select to have the kanban prioritized, picked, or manufactured.

The Production control > Kanban > Kanban board for process jobs page supports the normal production flow, minimizes interaction with the system, and gives the work cell an overview of the current situation, which allows the work cell to make impromptu decisions.

The board is also designed to support barcode scanning for the reporting of kanbans, if that is desired.

Consider the following options that are offered in the Kanban board for process jobs page:

Prepare - Sets the scan mode to prepare kanban jobs.
Select kanban - Sets the scan mode to select a kanban job in the job list.
Empty - Sets the scan mode to empty a handling unit of kanbans.
Start transfer - Sets the scan mode to start transfer jobs.
Complete transfer - Sets the scan mode to complete transfer jobs.
Pick list - Used to manually print the pick list for the selected kanban job(s).
Kanban - Use to manually print the kanban card.
Start - Start one or multiple selected kanban jobs.
Complete - Complete one or multiple selected jobs with the requested quantity.
Update registration - Update inventory receipts and register storage and tracking dimensions for the lot.
Complete (details) - Complete one or multiple selected jobs and report detailed production data. This button will allow you to indicate when a different quantity is completed, report scrapped quantities, update the date/time, and designate a quantity’s first time through.
Print - Prints the kanban cards of the selected kanbans in the process jobs list.
Cancel - Resets the status of a kanban job from planned, prepared, in progress, or completed to not planned. To delete a kanban, the status must be not planned.
Refresh cycle - Sets the refresh cycle for automatically refreshing the Kanban board for process jobs. By setting a refresh cycle time to the Kanban board, users who do not interact with the board every minute always have an accurate view of the background information, quantity overviews, and the cycle time performance.
Job details - Sets the dimensions display for the various elements on the Kanban board for process jobs.

Several FastTabs are available to display complementary data and support specific processes. When they are closed, the FastTabs do not consume runtime on update of the board. Therefore, we recommend that you close any FastTab that is not needed. When you close the board, the status of open and/or closed FastTabs is remembered (in the session data) and the board will be restored with this status the next time you use it.

The Production instructions FastTab displays a related document or picture that contains instructions or information that is related to the product or process for the machine operators.

The Picking list FastTab displays the sum of material to pick for the selected jobs, one or multiple. The on-hand status is displayed for the picking list lines to display the availability of material. The picking list can be printed as a separate document or as an attachment to each kanban card.

The Pegging FastTab shows the kanbans that are needed for selected jobs and the handling unit status of the pegged kanbans.

The Cycle time performance indicator FastTab displays the actual calculated cycle time for the defined cycle time period in relation to the boundaries that are defined in the production flow version. The Cycle time performance indicator is usually applied in production environments where many small jobs are registered synchronously to production. It gives an indication to the workers and managers of a work cell on the actual performance of the cell. The cycle time performance indicator is only active if a work cell is unique to one production flow activity.

For a work cell that runs activities for multiple production flows, the cycle time requirements cannot be calculated and the control is inactive.

When a work cell is replenished by withdrawal kanbans or the process activity is followed with a put-away transfer job, the active transfer jobs are displayed in a grid in the Transfer jobs FastTab.

The jobs can be selected and registered as started or complete in this control. A Start registration mode and a Complete transfer can also be set. The Transfer jobs FastTab supports the work of a user who is dedicated to a specific work cell. The user can control transfer in, transfer out, and picking processes in a single User Interface (UI), filtering all transactions that are related to the selected work cell. For a machine operator, the Transfer jobs FastTab should be kept closed.

The Finished goods option displays the Kanban rules for products that are supplied by the work cell. For each kanban rule, all active jobs are shown sorted by job status. If a planned kanban job is overdue, it has a time alert. The kanban rules are sorted by urgency. The most urgent kanban rule displays on top of the overview. The shop floor supervisor controls how to plan incoming jobs based on the urgency and priorities.

You can also view the graphical report by selecting Chart view on the screen shown below.

Production control > Kanban > Kanban quantity overview. In the Action Pane, select Chart view*.

The Materials option displays the Kanban rules that supply material consumed by the selected work cell. The shop floor workers see an overview of the supply situation and the on-hand supply in the supermarkets to make priority and picking decisions. To access this, select Material in the Quantity overview field.

Prepare a kanban

Prepare is an optional status update that you can perform by using the Prepare button. The prepare function picks materials and prepares jobs to be in process. Materials with the flushing principle set to Start are physically posted when the prepare method is processed. A kanban job that has components that are pulled through an event kanban can only be prepared if the component kanbans have been received.

Start a kanban

Start is an optional status update that you can perform by using the Start button that starts one or multiple selected kanban jobs. The start update sets the realized start date and time of the kanban process job. If the kanban job has not been through the prepare status, the start update will also prepare the kanban job.

Complete a kanban

Complete must be performed to update the selected jobs and complete the kanban process jobs with the requested quantity. The complete update sets the realized end date and time of the kanban process job. If the kanban job has not been through the Prepare or Start statuses, the complete update will also prepare and start the kanban job.

Completion of the kanban can also be performed by using the Complete (details) button, which allows one or multiple selected jobs to report detailed production data. This button allows you to report a different quantity completed, scrap quantities, update the date/time, and designate quantity's first time through. To utilize the Complete details button, select Manufacture on the Action pane. Then select Complete (details) under Production.

The complete update performs the physical receipt and inventory transactions of the product at the location, if the receipt is inventory controlled. On the last process job of a kanban, the components with the flushing principle of Finish are physically posted upon completion of the kanban.

If a kanban process job is completed with a different "Good quantity" than the product quantity (provided that the reported quantity is valid in terms of the kanban rule), and the job is not the last job of the kanban, all subsequent kanban jobs are updated to the "Good quantity" of the reported job. The subsequent kanban process jobs cannot process more items than are produced by the dependent job.

Kanban processing for transfer jobs

Transfer jobs are planned automatically upon original creation of the transfers or upon emptying of the kanban. Transfer jobs do not go through the Kanban schedule board for processes. While transfer jobs are not planned, it is possible to select a kanban as a high priority kanban by selecting the Prioritize button on the Kanban transfer board.

Transfer jobs are visible and can be processed on either the Kanban board for process jobs or by going to Production control > Kanban > Kanban board for transfer jobs. If a company uses a water spider (a person whose main responsibility is to ensure that materials are supplied to areas where they’re needed) to pull the materials, the Kanban board for transfer jobs would typically be the best choice because it only shows transfers. If the cell personnel are performing the transfers, the Kanban board for process jobs could be used for reporting process and transfer kanbans.

The Kanban board for transfer jobs has the following options:

Update picking list - Opens the Pick page to allow updates to the picking list warehouse, location, and quantity of the item being picked.
Start - Registers a kanban transfer job as in process.
Update registration - Allows registration of batch or serial numbers and splitting of a batch if required.
Complete - Registers a kanban job as completed.

A Kanban job of the transfer type can have the following statuses:

Not planned
Started
Completed

When the transfer job is not planned, the due date and time of the job is determined out of the due date of the kanban based on the kanban flow entries, as follows:

Due date of transfer job = due date (Kanban) - sum of all the activity times of all activities of the kanban flow after the transfer

When a transfer job is started, the status is changed to In progress; when a transfer job is completed, the status is changed to Completed.