How do you train and coach your inventory control team on Kanban principles and practices?

1 Explain the benefits of Kanban

Before you introduce Kanban to your team, you need to explain why it is beneficial for your inventory control goals. Kanban can help you reduce overstocking, avoid stockouts, improve quality, and increase customer satisfaction. You can use examples, case studies, or simulations to demonstrate how Kanban works and what results it can achieve. You can also solicit feedback and questions from your team to address any concerns or doubts they may have.

2 Set up the Kanban system

The next step is to set up the Kanban system for your inventory control process. You need to define the stages of your workflow, the inventory items, the demand patterns, and the replenishment triggers. You can use physical or digital tools to create your Kanban board, which is a visual representation of your inventory status and flow. You also need to establish the rules and policies for your Kanban system, such as the maximum and minimum inventory levels, the lead times, the batch sizes, and the roles and responsibilities of your team members.

3 Train your team on Kanban practices

Once you have set up the Kanban system, you need to train your team on how to use it effectively. You need to teach them how to read and update the Kanban board, how to pull and replenish inventory, how to handle exceptions and emergencies, and how to communicate and collaborate with other stakeholders. You can use hands-on exercises, quizzes, or games to reinforce the learning and test the understanding of your team. You can also provide feedback and guidance to help them improve their performance.

4 Monitor and measure the results

After you have trained your team on Kanban practices, you need to monitor and measure the results of your inventory control process. You need to track and analyze the key metrics, such as the inventory turnover, the fill rate, the cycle time, the quality, and the customer satisfaction. You can use charts, graphs, or dashboards to visualize and report the data. You can also compare the results with your baseline or benchmarks to evaluate the impact of Kanban on your inventory control goals.

5 Review and improve the Kanban system

The final step is to review and improve the Kanban system based on the results and feedback. You need to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your inventory control process, the opportunities and threats in your environment, and the best practices and lessons learned from your experience. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, or audits to collect and analyze the feedback. You can also use methods such as brainstorming, root cause analysis, or PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle to generate and implement improvements.

6 Encourage a culture of continuous improvement

To sustain and enhance the benefits of Kanban, you need to encourage a culture of continuous improvement in your inventory control team. You need to foster a mindset of learning, experimenting, adapting, and innovating. You need to reward and recognize the achievements and efforts of your team members. You need to involve them in the decision-making and problem-solving processes. You need to create a safe and supportive environment where they can share their ideas, opinions, and feedback.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?