How can you implement a pull system in your production process?

Also is very important to build up a team including the main stakeholdes and process owner. The team needs to be trained and aware on the pull flow principles and benefits

Some of the pull systems that can be implemented are Heijunka, FIFO, Order Point, Min/Max, Kanban, trigger board, two bin, vendor management

For implementation, start with one area, prefferably where you accumulate most of the WIP. After succeding in the first area, consider the next segment of the flow.

Value Stream Mapping can help you find your bottle neck processes, this is a massive potential for Push processes. Finding the Root Cause and Improving the process will create a Pull.

A pull systems needs to be dynamic owing to the variations in demand due to seasonality, economic factors, market trends, technology, price elasticity etc. A good idea is to interface the ERP system with customer's and suppliers for seamless communication of demand in the form of orders, which will help in reducing the lead-times and providing heads-up on sudden upsurge or reduction in demand at the point of sale. This will help automate mundane tasks and make the system more agile and efficient. The goal is not to reduce inventory and lead-time while improving availability and OTIF performance within your organization, but across the value chain, including your suppliers and customers.

Ofcourse a fully implemented pull production with high efficiency and 1st grade output is the best but it takes time to achive it. Start to analyze your process and identify where you can have your customer order point and use a push system to that point and pull from it. Try to develope your production and move the customer order point longer back in the flow. If you have hick-ups you can easily go back to former state and make the necessery improvments and try again. Good luck.

Some of the benefits that you can see to measure the success of the pull system is 1. Improved lead time 2. Fewer shortages 3. Reduced inventories ( less non value added time) 4. Improved financial impacts because of flow and reduced wastes

Additional benefits of Pull system are: 1. Lower buffer volume of critical inputs having longer lead-times. Many raw materials or inputs belong in the BoM for multiple products. In a push system, consuming the input for made-to-stock product based on forecast makes the material unavailable for products which are make-to-order with a firm demand. In a pull system, since the material will be issued to process based in firm demand, and balancing of the demand variation of finished goods allows for operating with lower buffer volumes. 2. Shorter cycle from receipt of input to sale, leading to reduced working capital requirement 3. Lower incidence of slow-moving and obsolete stocks.

When putting a pull system into practice, several practical factors come into play. If orders are consistently fulfilled in the upcoming months, the pull system can be put in place seamlessly. However, if this isn't the case, the available products can be manufactured, and the factory temporarily closed until orders do arrive. Conversely, for future orders that are pushed onto the planning stage, they can be manufactured and stored until their shipment dates. In such situations, decisions should be made considering the price and availability of raw materials.