Elastic adaptability in production– Service Kanban, i.e. self-regulating,

adaptive network of thousands of employees

Istvan Fekete

(fekete.istvan.pic@gmail.com)

Nokia 2009-2011

Service kanban

• Simple rules creating complex, adaptive behavior in network of 1000-2000 people in a production shift.

• Planned frames to create automatic escalation and adaptation– 10-15 Minutes

– Only 3 Service Cards

– Only 5 Cell Cards

– Only 2 Hooks, etc.

• While flexible behavior returns the system to original equilibrium, elastic behavior leads to adaptation to changes and to new equilibrium

Products groupped in blocks with dedicated cells, while flex cells provide machine elasticity

One or more but similar

products in one cluster

Cells dedicated to given cluster on daily level.

Changeovers are planned accordingly

Dedication for stability

Elasticity Pool

Non-dedicated, flex cells at the end of ech street allow

quick supply grow without disrupting the operations

Services adapt to changing demand, pulled by andonlamps and flags and controlled by service kanbans

Each street (group of cells)

has an owner of that service.

Owners watch cell andons

Service Leader watches Main

Street andons and helps in the

overloaded street

Main Street

Utc

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• Cell Operator calls the service with andon lamp and service flag

• Yellow andon gives 10-15 minutes window for service provider to deliver

• Red andon means immediate delivery requirement

• Red andon also calls the Cell Leader and Service Leader

• Flag color and symbol identify the required service

• Service Owner is for given street or group of cells

• Goes to cell of flashing andonand starts the service

• Service Leader• Helps in overloaded street or

allocates more resource (gemba approach)

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Service

OwnerService

Leader

Each service has its own color and symbol code consistently appearing everywhere

• Coat/Armband marking seen from

distance (7*7 cm)

• The Flags in the cell under Andon

lamp (15*20 cm)

• The big Flags in the main street

under big Andon lamp (20*30 cm)

• If Service Owner can’t fulfill the

demand immediately then there is

an exchange of cards:

• Service owner leaves 1 of his

Service Cards (3 per owner),

i.e. Who owes to cell?

• Service owner takes 1 of the

Cell cards (5 cell cards per

cell), i.e. Which cell I owe?

• Service owners hand over the

service at shift change in situ

Armband

Maual imput

in Line stop

ReportFlags in the Cell

Service kanban cards

Flags in the

Main Street

Flag 2Flag 1

Red and Yellow andon lamps in the front of the cell and 2 pairs of hooks for 2 flags only

Immediate service required,

otherwise the cell stops/the cell

has already stopped.

In 10-15 Minutes the service

required, otherwise the cell will

stop.

If more than 2 services are

pending, i.e. cell is in risky state

TT

AQK

SP

T

NEM TERVEZETT ÁLLÁS

SZÜNET

Product

Technician

Quality

Operator

1st Sales Pack

to checkNon-planned

brake

Material

HandlerFinished Goods

Shipping Operator

Maintenance

Technician

Brake

Service Kanban Flag/Card examples fromreal life

Andon Lamp Red & Yellow

Hook for 2 Flags

Flag holder

Andon Lamp Buttons Red & Yellow

Service Kanban Cards

Online Repair

Kanban Cards

Hook for 2 Flags

Examples from real life

Service Kanban Cards (5/5)

Online Repair

Kanban Cards (6/6)

Secondary Card of Cell Operators

Material Handler (Blue) exchanges her Card

with Cell Card to go and doing offline part of

her service ASAP

Examples from real life

Service Kanban Process (Doers’ view)P

rodu

ctio

n

Cell/

Lin

eS

erv

ice P

rovid

er

Production

Runs

Service

needs in 15

min.?

No

Switch on Yellow

Andon and hook

Service Flag on

Provide your

service in max

10 minutes and

check your

Andons

regularily

Yes

Is there

flashing Yellow

Andon with my

Flag?

Go to cell in

10 minutes

and clarify

the service

need with

cell

colleague

Can I serve

immediately?

1

1

No

Take off your

Flag and switch

off the Andon (if

only your flag

was on)

Go and fulfill

offline part of

your service and

return to Cell

Is there

flashing Red

Andon with my

Flag?

Go to cell

within 1

minute and

clarify the

service need

with cell

colleague

Yes

No

2

YesYes

Has Cell

stopped due to

my service

need?

Yes

No

No

Production

Runs

Service

needs now?

No

Switch on Red

Andon and hook

Service Flag on

Yes

2

Take off your Flag

and switch off the

Andon (if only your

flag was on)

Take 1 Cell Card

and put 1 of your

Kanban Card to

Cell Board

Take 1 Cell Card

and put 1 of your

Kanban Card to

Cell Board

Urgently fulfill

offline part of

your service,

return to Cell and

finish your work

Take of your Flag

and switch of the

Andon (if only

your flag was on)

Service Kanban Process (Leader’s view)P

rodu

ctio

n

Cell/

Lin

eC

ell/

Lin

e T

eam

Lea

de

r

/Se

rvic

e T

eam

Lea

de

r

Walk around and

check the status of

the Cells through

Andons and Flags

Are there

flashing Yellow

Andons with

same/my Flag?

Go to cells ASAP

and evaluate the

risk of overload in

service

Is the

Service

Provider

there?

1

No

Thank the perfect

work for both cell

personell and

service providerDiscuss the line

stop with your

Team Leader party

in 15 minutes

Is there

flashing Red

Andon (/with

my Flag)?

Go to cell within 1

minute and clarify

the service need

with cell colleagueYes

No

2

Yes

Yes

Has Cell

stopped due to

that service

need?

Yes

No

No

Find the person

and help him/her

to act

Consider

process

audit at cell

Production

Runs

Service

needs in 15

min.?

No

Switch on Yellow

Andon and hook

Service Flag on

Yes

1

Production

Runs

Service

needs now?

No

Switch on Red

Andon and hook

Service Flag on

Yes

2

Discuss the risk

with your customer

party in 15 minutes

Service Kanban Process (Escalation)S

erv

ice

Pro

vid

er

Se

rvic

e T

eam

Lea

de

r

Walk around and

check the status of

the Streets through

Andons and Flags

Is the

Service

Provider

there?

Consult with him/her

Discuss the

overload with

Cell/Line Team

Leader party in 15

minutes

Is there flashing

Big Red Andon

with my Flag?Go to overloaded

Street within 1

minute and clarify

the issue

Yes

No

3

Yes

No

Find the person

ASAP

Do my

service

Am I

overloaded?

No

Switch Big Red Andon on

and hook Big Service Flag

on in the Main Street

Yes

3

Decide on help,

additional service

allocation and act

immediately