Gemba vs Kanban
Tanmoy Debnath (He/ Him/ His)
Pentland Brands (Speedo/Berghaus/Canterbury/Endura) | Global Sourcing | Merchandising | Business Analyst | Next Sourcing | Newtimes | PDS | Progress Apparels Bangladesh Ltd. (Matalan/ Next/ Trutex/ Shaws/ C&A)
Gemba and Kanban differ in their respective applications and impact on improving efficiency and reducing waste in the garment sector.
Gemba, as applied to the RMG sector, refers to the physical locations where garment production occurs, such as factories and production floors. Gemba's principles emphasize the importance of getting to these real places to understand the workflow, observe the production process, and engage with frontline workers. Gemba can aid in identifying bottlenecks, improving productivity, and ensuring quality control in RMG. Managers can also provide timely guidance to workers by being present at Gemba. The RMG sector benefits from a culture of continuous improvement, employee empowerment, and enhanced efficiency through this approach.
Kanban in the RMG sector refers to implementing a visual scheduling system to streamline production and inventory management. Kanban cards signal the need to replenish raw materials or components as they are consumed in production. By visually representing the flow of work and materials, Kanban helps reduce inventory levels, minimize waste, and optimise production. By implementing Kanban systems, companies in the RMG sector can adopt a just-in-time production approach, ensuring they have the right materials at the right time. This leads to improved productivity, reduced lead times, and cost savings.
Gemba emphasizes direct observation of processes and worker engagement, whereas Kanban emphasizes visual management and efficient inventory control. This is to optimize the production of RMG. In the RMG industry, both concepts are critical to driving efficiency, reducing waste, and improving overall performance.