Organizing the workflow within any company can be tricky. And while Kanban boards have been around since the 1940s, there are many industries that could be using them to their advantage, but simply are not. Especially in manufacturing companies, Kanban boards can keep the flow of work smooth.
A Kanban whiteboard is a visual tool that separates a board into different sections and then uses colored sticky notes to distinguish meanings, whether that be different departments or the type of work. The overall goal of a Kanban board is to optimize workflow in a visual way. In a blog by LeanKit, the author explains some of a Kanban’s core principles.
Visualize Work: By having the workflow shown in an easy-to-follow display, all employees can quickly see what needs to be accomplished, what is being worked on, and what has been finished. This can eliminate the need for constant progress reports, which translate to more time on the production line.
Limit Work in Process: One of the goals of a Kanban is to match the the amount of work coming in with finished work. An overloaded system slows down work, so adding a work-in-process limit can help decrease wasted time, effort, and resources.
Continuous Improvement: After a Kanban system is in place, teams are able to seamlessly measure effectiveness. Tracking flow, quality, lead times, and more can be analyzed to improve effectiveness.
Read the full blog for more information on Kanban boards.
EVERWhite can get your team started on improved workflow with a custom-designed Kanban whiteboard. View our custom graphics whiteboards to see other examples of charts and graphs or call us at 800-335-7319 to see what will work for your office.
Dan Griffin is general manager of EVERWhite, a U.S. manufacturer and seller of whiteboards and tack boards used for teaching, coaching, planning, collaboration and tracking. Along with his expertise in the use of whiteboards, Dan excels in leadership, new product development, business operations, continuous improvement and product marketing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a focus on marketing, from Temple University.
