Configuring General Settings for Kanban

You can maintain the Kanban container status texts in different languages in the configuration activity, Define Kanban Container Status Texts.

In this configuration activity, you can change the SAP default texts for the predefined numeric Kanban container status codes according to your needs. You can maintain texts with a maximum length of 12 characters.

The predefined numeric status codes are fixed. It is not possible to create additional numeric status codes. You can copy or create entries for new languages.

The SAP default texts for the predefined numeric status codes are (in the English language):

• 1 Waiting
• 2 Empty
• 3 In Process
• 4 In Transit
• 5 Full
• 6 In Use
• 9 Error

In the Manage Kanban Control Cycles app, you can select a status sequence to control the flow of container status changes according to your needs.

Using a status sequence, you can indicate that certain statuses are not allowed while others are mandatory. You maintain status sequences for Kanban containers in the configuration activity, Define Kanban Container Sequences.

When you open the configuration activity, you first find an overview of all the status sequences that have already been created, as shown in the previous figure. You can make a new entry to create new sequences or create a new sequence by copying and adjusting an existing one. You can also display or change the details of sequences.

In the detail view of a sequence, you define for each status whether it is:

• Mandatory (+)
• Recommended (*) (status is proposed by the system, but it can be overwritten by the user manually)
• Optional (blank) (status is not proposed by the system, but it can be set by the user manually)
• Prohibited (-)

The figure above shows as an example of detailed settings for the status sequence, PD01 Transit Sequence: The statuses 1, 3, and 6 are optional, and the statuses 2, 4, and 5 are mandatory.

The next status of a Kanban container can be specified with the Kanban signal. The target status can be specified by reading a barcode in the Set Kanban Container Status app. The next status can be included in the bar code information. If the next status is not included in the bar code, the system determines the target status automatically using the data recorded in the status sequence. If no status sequence has been defined for the Kanban control cycle, the system uses the standard status sequence with the two mandatory statuses, Full and Empty.

In the Kanban board, the next status permitted by the status sequence is always set by selecting the corresponding button for status changes.

Depending on whether the next status is specified by the Kanban signal or not, the status sequence has the following effect:

• If the appropriate next status is given with the Kanban signal, the system checks whether a non-permitted status is set or checks whether a mandatory status has been omitted from the status sequence for the following statuses:Waiting, In process, In transit, and In use.
• If the appropriate next status is not given with the Kanban signal, the system determines the next status automatically using the status sequence. Here, the system will set the next recommended or mandatory status in the status sequence.

You can optimize the sizing of your control cycles by selecting a suitable calculation profile in each control cycle. Based on the parameters defined in your calculation profiles, you can run Kanban calculations for your control cycles to propose the number of containers or the quantity per container.

You maintain Kanban calculation profiles in the configuration activity, Define Kanban Calculation Profiles.

When you open the configuration activity, you first find an overview of all the calculation profiles that are already created, as shown in the previous figure. You can make a new entry to create a new profile or create a new profile by copying and adjusting an existing one. You can also display or change the details of profiles.

You define the following parameters in a calculation profile:

• Calculation Type:

  The calculation type controls whether the number of Kanban containers or the quantity per Kanban container is to be calculated.

• Safety Factor:

  The safety factor is used to cater proportionately for requirement fluctuations. It is multiplied by the result of the Kanban calculation formula.

• Calculation Constant:

  Depending on how Kanban is used in production, you set the calculation constant in the following way:

  • If a Kanban container is reported empty when all the material in the container has been used up, the calculation constant is set to 1.
  • If several work centers are served by one production supply area when containers are reported empty in this way, the constant must be increased by the number of work centers.
  • If, on the other hand, the Kanban container is reported empty as soon as the first part is withdrawn, the constant is 0.

  You can also use this calculation constant to plan a safety stock.

• Smoothing Type:

  If you want to smooth the dependent requirements for the Kanban calculation, you must define the smoothing type. The requirements can be evenly distributed over a week, a month, or a quarter.

• Requirement Buffer in %:

  You can add a relative buffer to allow for requirement fluctuations.

• Supply Buffer in %:

  You can add a relative buffer to even out delivery fluctuations.

• Factory Calendar, Planning Calendar, Shift Grouping, and Shift Sequence for the supply source:

  If you enter a replenishment lead time of less than a day in the control cycle, the system must convert the daily dependent requirement quantity to the dependent-requirement quantity in this sub-day replenishment lead time. Before the system can do this conversion, it must be able to calculate the working time per day. The working time per day is calculated using the above three parameters.

  Note

  In the Kanban calculation, the system calculates the average working time (averaged over the period of examination).
• Factory Calendar, Shift Grouping, and Shift Sequence for the demand source (consumer):

  You can model the working times of the consuming work center using these three parameters. From this information, the system then calculates the calendar buffer. The calendar buffer is a buffer that the system uses to compensate for the missing material quantity if the supply source does not work on a day on which the consumer (demand source) works, for example.

• Pull interval in workdays or pull interval in hours and minutes:

  The pull interval is used as a buffer covering lead times between the supply source and the demand source.

Based on the result of the Kanban calculation, the number of Kanban containers in the control cycle can be adopted automatically using strategies you define in the configuration activity, Define Strategies for Adopting Kanban Calculation Proposals.

In the configuration activity, Define Strategies for Adopting Kanban Calculation Proposals, you define strategies for the adoption of proposals from the automatic Kanban calculation.

The strategies are defined on the plant level.

If the system proposes adding new Kanban containers as a result of the automatic Kanban calculation, you must make the following settings:

Adding Kanban Containers:

• Unlocking Sequence:

  If the relevant control cycle has locked Kanban containers, these are unlocked first. If some locked Kanban containers are not unlocked, it is necessary to specify which containers are to be unlocked first.

• Number Assignment for new Kanban containers:

  When new Kanban containers are added to the control cycle, you must decide whether:

  • Container numbers are to be assigned that increment sequentially from the highest existing container number.
  • Any gaps that have arisen due to the deletion of Kanban containers, for example, are to be closed first.
• Lock New Container:

  When new Kanban containers are added to a control cycle, you must decide whether these Kanban containers are to be available immediately or initially locked.

  Locking the Kanban containers has the advantage that you have enough time to label the new containers and print the Kanban cards. After the containers are prepared, you can unlock the locked containers. You can do this in the following ways:

  • Use the Unlock Kanban Containers app.
  • Use the Collective Kanban Print app, and check the Unlock Kanbans Automatically After Printing box on the initial screen.
  • Unlock the Kanban containers in the control cycle maintenance app.

If the system proposes to delete Kanban containers as a result of the automatic Kanban calculation, you must make the following settings:

Deleting Kanban containers:

• Lock Sequence:

  If the relevant control cycle has Kanban containers with the initial status of waiting, these can be deleted first (check Delete Initial Containers). Kanban containers with other statuses are locked.

  You must specify which Kanban containers are to be locked first:

  • Containers with a high status
  • Containers with a high container number
• Delete Initial Containers:

  With this setting, you specify whether Kanban containers with the status of waiting are to be deleted first, before other Kanban containers are locked.

  If you first delete the Kanban containers with the status of waiting, you get a quicker execution of the Kanban calculation change proposals.

  If you decide against the deletion of the Kanban containers with the status of waiting, the Kanban number range remains gap-free.

• Delete Locked Containers:

  As a rule, Kanban containers are not deleted from a control cycle immediately. Instead, they are first locked, then run through the remaining status sequence up to the next setting to empty, and are then set to the initial status of waiting by the system. After this, they can be deleted.

  With this setting, you decide whether locked Kanban containers are to be deleted as well when the proposals are next adopted, without running through the remaining status sequence.