Key Steps in Implementing IBQMI® Kanban

Even though every organization will tweak and shape their Kanban based on their business type and needs, the heart of the Kanban remains the same, which is a visual indication to adjust inventory and production levels.

You should understand the Kaizen culture

Irrespective of the size of your Kanban project, there are pockets of critical steps to ensuring a smooth and hitch-free deployment. These key steps are crucial in implementing your Kanban successfully.

Steps in working with IBQMI® Kanban

1. Ensure you know the process very well:
Do not make the common mistake of rushing to the system just because your organization has decided against implementing a Kanban system. Please don’t! Make sure you take your time out to analyze your current situations fully. This will help you to streamline where necessary improvements need to be made. Take a careful look at the processes, involvement, and investment to see if all is well.
It is very important also to note that the inventory limits, which the graphical display represents, are carefully dimensioned.

2. Plan for tomorrow:
yes, once you have been able to analyze your current state through the use of Value Stream Mapping and your current situations have been figured out, then you can go ahead and personalized the Kanban. Once this is done, it will boost your productivity through tracking of essential metrics out of the box.
Adequate planning must be put in place for the proper functioning of the Kanban system; it will help in reducing the work in progress (doing) and simultaneously minimize inventory.

3. Training:
the importance of training is usually underrated when it comes to implementing a Kanban system. The design should be such that it gives room for every level of user. No doubt, a well-designed Kanban system is entirely visual and obvious, but what of the end-users who do not understand the basics of this system. So, it is crucial you always consider the users who have little or no knowledge about this system when planning this system. With the original –IBQMI Certified Kanban Coach™– we offer the only holistic approach for Kanban on the market! This Kanban Certification includes not just IT but Automotive Industry and continuous delivery for Industry 4.0. If you want to understand Kanban in a holistic way and get one step ahead, there is no other certification on the market than the –IBQMI Certified Kanban Coach™–.
Another point to note when training the end-users is that, don’t assume they have understood the system because you have taken them through simulation. This is called under-train, don’t do this, take them through this as many times as possible. Let them know the possible scenarios that could emanate while running the system.

4. Maintaining the Kanban system:
now you are half-way there, but it is crucial that you continue to sensitize the users about the benefits of the system. Always sing it in their ears that the system is designed to improve workflow, reduce the inventory, minimize work in progress, and ultimately, to save the company purchasing power.
The benefit of maintaining the system through continuous sensitization is that the present end-users if adequately informed and trained, will in the not distant future, become trainers too when deploying Kanban across areas of your business.

There are far too many steps in implementing a Kanban system in any organization, but above-listed steps are some of the keys steps in doing so. Are you planning on implementing Kanban at your organization? Give it a try today!

What’s next?
To learn the Kanban 101 at team-level, enroll in the IBQMI® Approved Kanban Professional.
If you want to apply Kanban to any environment at an advanced coach level, you should enroll in the Certified Kanban Coach®.