Extended kanban control system: combining kanban and base stock

Abstract

This paper introduces a new mechanism for the coordination of multi-stage manufacturing systems. This mechanism is called the Extended Kanban Control System (EKCS) and depends on two parameters per stage, the number of kanbans and the base stock of finished parts. The EKCS is a combination of the classical Kanban and Base Stock control systems and includes each system as a special case. The dynamics of the EKCS are described, in particular, in relation to the dynamics of the Generalized Kanban Control System (GKCS), a known control mechanism that also includes the Kanban and Base Stock control systems as special cases. Advantages of the EKCS over the GKCS are discussed. Finally, properties of the dynamics of the EKCS are presented. One important property is that the capacity of the EKCS depends only on the number of kanbans but not on the base stock of finished parts.