Business planning is vital for businesses to achieve their desired efficiency. It is only optimism to expect long-lasting businesses where jobs are done unplanned. Businesses use many different methods when doing business planning. One of these methods is the so-called Kanban methodology. In this method, the main starting point of which is Toyota, the work to be done is planned by visualizing and grouping to a great extent. This method is very useful in terms of identifying and resolving the problems in the business.
Princibles of Kanban
When it comes to the Kanban methodology, it is necessary to mention some basic principles. Some of the basic principles of this method are:
- Visualization: When making visualization in business planning, it is necessary to determine the stages that each job will go through. Then, the work to be done and the processes to be passed must be visualized and the work must be followed.
- Limited Number of Jobs: Businesses have certain potential in working. Therefore, a limited number of jobs should be carried out at each stage. When using the Kanban method, it should be clearly stated what works can be done at each stage.
- Continuous Improvement: The Kanban methodology also offers some possibilities to overcome the problems that arise while doing things. Situations that prevent workflow should be identified and resolved and a continuous workflow should be provided.
Benefits of Kanban Methodology
As with all business planning methods, Kanban methodology offers enormous advantages. First of all, it is ensured to determine the ways and processes of the work in the enterprises, thus preventing the chaos environment. Kanban is not just a method that monitors what needs to be done. In addition to this, it is possible to examine the works done, to evaluate the works that are in the testing phase and to determine the reasons that hinder the business process. The fact that employees do more than one job at the same time is something that will cause them to lose their productivity. Therefore, instead of doing more than one job at the same time, performing all the works in order with a successful planning contributes to the faster finalization of the works.
Gantt vs. Kanban Methodology
Another method used in business planning is the Gantt method. In this method, the work to be done at certain time intervals are marked on a graph. In this chart, the work to be done in the vertical column; the horizontal column contains time zones. Which work will be done in which time period is marked and displayed in a way that all staff can see. However, no changes are made to the Gantt method after the plan is made. Kanban methodology is more flexible in this regard. It is possible to make changes according to the trend in Kanban boards. In addition, there is no area to mark the work done in the Gantt method. The Kanban method is more mobile and suitable for the transition of jobs between various groupings.
You may also like: How to Create Gantt Chart for Production Planning?
How to Use Kanban Boards?
When Kanban methodology is used for business planning, more than one panel is used, not a single panel. The panels that will be used in this method can be the panels that can be physically placed in the workplace, or they can be panels prepared in digital-based programs. However, in terms of being in a position that everyone can see, physical panels are more useful. For this method, at least two panels must be separated. However, it is possible to increase this number of panels in the context of business processes. The first board is called the “to do” board. The second panel is called the “work done” board. The work to be done is fixed on the first board. If there are issues to be considered while doing this work, these are also declared separately. When a job is completed, it is removed from the first board and transferred to the second board. A third panel can be created to identify problems that slow this process down. In the third panel, the problems that arise during the work are expressed. An employee can be appointed to manage transitions between the boards and control jobs, or direct business owners can take over this task.
Using Kanban Methodology in 3 steps via Fabrikator
1. Define the steps of production
Create your custom board by adding production steps or use our templates.
2. Prioritize your manufacturing records
View all your records in a single view. Manage the backlog of production tasks.
3. Master your process management
Just by moving tasks to complete, trigger inventory inflow/outflow actions automatically.