Internet Based eKanban/eKitting Involving Suppliers

Kanban and Kitting systems have become prevalent over the past 20-30 years however most of these systems are manual or internal. In addition, some companies have struggled implementing these business practices due to internal employee gaming of these systems which has sometimes caused companies to abandon or lose trust in them. This paper provides details on the development and deployment of a web-based environment at a company which involved suppliers, substantially reduced employee gaming and improved managerial oversight of inventory which led to nearly 90% reductions in line side inventory, nearly 50% reductions in material handling labor while reducing line-side part shortages by over 80%. The technical components of this system and how it was implemented will be reviewed. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.