What is a Kanban Board and How Does it Work?

Question

Kanban as a whole seems to be quite complex. Do we really have to implement all the different tools and strategies associated with Kanban, or is it possible to just pick and choose what we believe will be most effective in our situation. For example, what are Kanban boards really used for? How do they work? What advantage would they offer to a fairly small manufacturing facility? I can see how they could help in a large-scale environment, but we’re thinking of just ignoring them completely and just using Kanban cards and things like that. Thoughts?

Mike Wilson · Accepted Answer

Kanban as a whole seems to be quite complex. Do we really have to implement all the different tools and strategies associated with Kanban, or is it possible to just pick and choose what we believe will be most effective in our situation. For example, what are Kanban boards really used for? How do they work? What advantage would they offer to a fairly small manufacturing facility? I can see how they could help in a large-scale environment, but we’re thinking of just ignoring them completely and just using Kanban cards and things like that. Thoughts?