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Kanban for Skeptics

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  As a change agent, you constantly need to reassure people that the path we follow is worthwhile traveling. This need is often expressed in the form of critique and difficult questions. When I coach teams, this is often the case. The same thing happens when introducing Kanban. However, I noticed that Kanban raises much harder questions on a management and leadership level, once people are introduced to the basics and start to explore the subject on their own. The type of questions Kanban raise seems to be hard to answer without lapsing into hour-long discussions. This is normal because Kanban is a change management approach, not a methodology, and therefore much less prescriptive. In order to provide reassurance, as a coach, you need to trace the questions all the way back to the principles of Kanban, which are grounded in Lean thinking This is why I wrote a free e-book 'Kanban for Skeptics, that lists the 5 most common arguments against Kanban. What is Kanban? When the term Kanba

What Is The Kanban System ?

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  The Kanban System was designed to provide control of logistical chains. The system was designed by Toyota’s Taiichi Ohno. He discovered that the system boosted production levels within the automobile manufacturing plant. It has proven to achieve just-in-time productions at such high levels that more manufacturers are utilizing it. The way in which it operates is that as products are shipped a signal is generated to increase production. It utilizes a replenishment cycle that informs suppliers of how many products are required each time one is purchased. The data is sent through the manufacturing plant where more products are completed. The technique schedules production based on the system's ability to forecast demand for the product. It anticipates the number of products to create based on sales within a given time frame. An evaluation is performed to determine which products are slow sellers and to establish a window for further creation of these items. The Kanban System sends o