What Is the Kanban Aspect of Jit?

Kanban: It is derived from the combination of two Japanese words, kan ("visual") and ban ("card" or "board"), kanban roughly translates to sign board or signal board. It is a manual system used for controlling the movement of parts and materials that responds to signals of the need (i.e., demand) for delivery of parts or materials. This applies both to delivery to the factory and delivery to each workstation. It helps determine what to produce, when to produce it, and how much to produce. The result is the delivery of a steady stream of containers of parts throughout the workday. Each container holds a small supply of parts or materials. New containers are delivered to replace empty containers. Toyota has invested largely in this model known as kanban, and can be referred to as “Supermarket Method”. The idea behind it was taken from the supermarkets according to Toyota’s website. According to Stevenson’s example, when a worker needs materials or work from the preceding station, he or she uses a kanban card. In effect, the kanban card is the authorization to move or work on parts. In kanban systems, no part or lot can be moved or worked on without one of these cards. There are two main types of kanbans:
1. Production kanban (p-kanban): signals the need to produce parts.
2. Conveyance kanban (c-kanban): signals the need to deliver parts to the next work center.
The system works this way: A kanban card is affixed to each container. When a workstation needs to replenish its supply of parts, a worker goes to the area where these parts are stored and withdraws one container of parts. Each container holds a predetermined quantity. The worker removes the kanban card from the container and posts it in a designated spot where it will be clearly visible, and the worker moves the container to the workstation. The posted kanban is then picked up by a stock person who replenishes the stock with another container, and so on down the line. Demand for parts