L-mobile E-Kanban: The Digital Solution for Automated Kanban Processes

L-mobile digitalizes, networks, and automates your Kanban processes. A wide range of technologies and solutions, such as RFID Kanban, eliminates long wait and process times and other disadvantages of manual Kanban processes. Thanks to the full automation of ordering processes, electronic Kanban facilitates a constant material supply in your production. Our interfaces to your systems deliver material requirement notifications in real time and without the need to manually enter them in the ERP system.

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Automate your replenishment processes with L-mobile E-Kanban

Supply security for your supply chain with an automated ordering process

How to generate automatic replenishment? Ensure continuous replenishment of your production with electronic RFID Kanban. You know the situation well, the big challenge of constantly provisioning c-parts or production items that are repeatedly used. Even though these parts are so small, they are very important for production. If a screw, a washer or a nut is missing, the entire production stops. An E-Kanban solution generates fully automated requirement notifications, without any time delays or manual effort so that you can ensure continual material supply. A large product range, different storage locations, or many suppliers—these are some of the other challenges you have to overcome in your daily production. And we know how to do that!

How to automate your replenishment processes: a detailed look at our L-mobile E-Kanban solutions

Production materials supply with RFID Kanban rack

To ensure optimal control of replenishment, an electronic Kanban system uses what is known as the RFID Kanban rack. This consists of two components. The first is a rack equipped with an RFID antenna on the top rack shelf that recognizes the load carrier RFID tags, for example, small load carrier 4147. The rack also has an RFID reader that registers the transponder and transmitter unit and forwards them to the ERP system for data transfer. The second component are the load carriers, which are also equipped with RFID tags that connect them to the ERP system. Additionally, the load carriers are also linked to the item and its position in the Kanban warehouse. This is especially important because an item can be used at multiple production work stations.

For example, our customer Fritz Stiefel Industrievertretungen GmbH, requires a two container supplier Kanbanfor its own customers. If a load carrier is empty, it is positioned on an intelligent rack shelf and an order for the missing parts is triggered wirelessly in real time through the RFID tag, which is also posted in real time to the ERP system. A flashing light on the shelf enables your employee to recognize the order. Thus, the ERP system initiates a replenishment for the next delivery and filling cycle. Moreover, the RFID reader can detect multiple stacked load carriers.

Digitalize your entire material flow chain with the RFID Kanban mailbox

When cutting-edge companies digitalize their internal Kanban processes, they benefit, but so do their customers. Our RFID Kanban mailbox, which functions like a smartphone, gives our customers a way to send a requirement notification via RFID without a huge investment and to work with this technology in all areas of a company.

The RFID mailbox provides seamless follow-up delivery of c-parts through Kanban cards. It has been especially designed for applications where data transfer cannot be accessed from a local network but instead requires a standalone solution. The networking and digitalization of background processes are handled by the intelligent software solutions from L-mobile.

Stationary RFID reader

Small, compact RFID readers with integrated antennas and LEDs are installed in material withdrawal points, most often on supermarket shelves. When a worker removes the needed material, they briefly place the RFID Kanban card on the RFID reader, which triggers an automatic requirement notification/material replenishment to the ERP system. The intelligent and networked software solution from L-mobile handles what is otherwise a manually performed posting. Besides this subprocess, the RFID solution offers many other advantages for replacing manual tasks and automating processes.

L-mobile digital production – E-Kanban RFID tag for E-Kanban

RFID gate

In some processes, it is better to record and post the Kanban cards to the ERP system automatically and without any manual effort at an earlier transport stage, for example, between the warehouse and production. Instead of separate, manual and very time-consuming postings of every Kanban card, we are able to perform a bulk identification during transport through the use of RFID technologies and so-called RFID gates. This software recognizes the corresponding direction and uses an intelligent algorithm for filtering to avoid incorrect postings. The process gives you the means to light entire loading gates or storage compartments with RFID technologies and optimize processes in these areas.

UWB—Ultra Wide Band

In order to locate objects in indoor areas with pinpoint accuracy, including orders and materials with Kanban cards, L-mobile uses UWB technology (Ultra Wide Band). UWB locates objects indoors within a few centimeters, similar to how a GPS functions outdoors. For this process, L-mobile uses active UWB transponders that wirelessly transmit your ID, which is then received and processed in a wireless infrastructure also designed and installed by L-mobile. This L-mobile software solution in turn uses this signal to determine exactly where which order or material is located based on defined rules and can trigger an automatic action in the ERP system.

L-mobile digital production – E-Kanban UWB tracking for E-Kanban

StockSAVER

WERMA StockSAVER is the simple retrofit solution that allows you to always have an overview of the stock levels of your FIFO roller racks. Intelligent reporting points monitor the number of containers in the roller rack and display the actual material stock on the easy-to-read control station. The actual material stock level can also be directly communicated to the L-mobile system. If the removal of material from a container triggers a reorder point, the demand list for logistics is automatically updated. This ensures efficient supply and prevents running out of material, and also the need to accumulate unnecessarily high safety stock. The Kanban process of WERMA StockSAVER makes manual sources of error a thing of the past. It also offers you long-term evaluations you can use to improve processes as well as the option of exporting your materials movement data to replenishment control.

More information directly from WERMA

L-mobile digital production – material flow E-Kanban StockSAVER

BLE—Bluetooth Low Energy

Sometimes it is also sufficient to know exactly in which zone a material or Kanban card is located so that fully automated logical postings can be made in the ERP. To do this, L-mobile uses iBeacons, which send out their IDs via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and are received and processed on a nearby BLE access point. This L-mobile software solution in turn uses this signal to determine which order or material is located in which zone and, based on defined rules in the intelligent software, can trigger actions, such as an automatic requirement notification in the ERP system.

The elements of the electronic RFID Kanban rack, the solution for automatic, constant replenishment

Fast, efficient, and transparent—the L-mobile E-Kanban systems ensure that stocks can be managed leanly, reorders are automated, and fluctuations in demand are detected early on. The L-mobile systems function like the rolling multi-container system. The first load carrier is used until it is empty. The second one contains the same items and is ready to be used immediately. This pull principle guarantees a seamless cycle. The L-mobile E-Kanban solutions always foreground the automatic restocking of each item in your production and make manually intervention in your ordering process a thing of the past.

Kanban load carrier
RFID tags are attached to your load carriers, such as small load carrier 4147, for your c-parts or other items. These contain the exact item ID and its storage bin.
Intelligent rack shelf
The top rack shelf is equipped with RFID antennas that detect the RFID tags of the empty load carriers.
RFID reader
The RFID reader recognizes the RFID tag and the antenna and posts the data to the ERP system for automated reordering.
Business intelligence
Automated orders, supplier orders, manufacturing recommendations, or replenishment recommendations can be triggered here. Moreover, the monitoring gives you transparency in all process steps, both for yourself and your suppliers.
ERP system
Automatic data collection in your ERP system. Additionally, it is also an option to post an automatic goods receipt here as soon as the Kanban load carrier is reloaded at the work station. Furthermore, automated orders, supplier orders, manufacturing recommendations, or replenishment recommendations can be triggered.

Why use E-Kanban? Advantages of electronic Kanban

Leaner process

The complete automation of the ordering process replaces physical Kanban cards, which makes the process lean and reduces complexity. For example, internal transports are eliminated, fill quantity adjustments happen continually, and your workflow is paperless.

Space and time-saving

The L-mobile E-Kanban systems do not require any additional space because the existing racks are upgraded. This means the freed-up floor space can be used in other ways to add value. Moreover, the installation effort and time are minimal.

Seamless integration

The L-mobile electronic Kanban systems can be quickly and easily integrated into your existing ERP system, giving you the ability to easily handle orders and the related control loops in your production.

Digitalization

Auto ID technologies facilitate automatic posting without manual effort and in real time, which also avoids incorrect postings.

Transparency

Electronic data collection in L-mobile E-Kanban creates transparency in material flow, related replenishment requirements, and in the replenishment signals.

Real time

The L-mobile E-Kanban solutions are connected to your ERP system, which enables them to report demand in real time, and enables you precisely control your flow of goods.

Read our Info Center report on “Faster Processes with RFID Kanban” to learn more about how E-Kanban solutions can speed up and optimize processes and what other advantages fully automated replenishment offers compared to conventional Kanban.

Automated replenishment with L-mobile E-Kanban

View the demo for free, whenever you have time!

Uses of E-Kanban for your warehouse and production environment
In the webcast, we show you how you can make your replenishment processes transparent and without changes in media.
Live demo of the most important functions
In our live demo, you’ll get an in-depth view of automated replenishment with L-mobile E-Kanban.
Helpful practical examples
Through the successful examples of our customer projects, you’ll learn about the advantages of automated replenishment processes and the various application options.

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A comparison of manual and electronic Kanban systems

Manual Kanban
Manual effort for taking orders, requirement notifications are sent with a time delay
Limited transparency
Errors from media disruptions
Lost Kanban cards
Kanban cards no longer readable

Electronic Kanban
Direct connection to the ERP system, which transfers data in real time
Transparency over all stock levels and statuses
Electronic and automated notifications from current information and avoidance of non-value-added activities
An electronic Kanban card is always connected to the ERP system, which simultaneously facilitates simple handling of the orders of the electronic Kanban systems and the related control loops
End-to-end digitalization and automation through auto ID technologies

From the grocery store to the warehouse and production—the path of the Kanban principle

“Kanban” is actually a Japanese word that means something like card, receipt, or container. Kanban was developed by Taiichi Ohno in 1947, who was inspired by the principle of shopping as a way to control material flow in production more flexible and efficiently. In the grocery store, the consumer stands in front of the store shelf and serves themselves. Depending on how many goods actually flow out, employees and suppliers ensure that there is enough product stock on the shelves, which is known as the buffer stock. Once the shelves are filled, the cycle starts over.

Mastering time-efficient material supply—automatically and without errors. In collaboration with Fritz Stiefel Industrie-Vertretungen GmbH, we have successfully developed a process-safe RFID solution. Fritz Stiefel GmbH repeatedly faced the challenge of adequately supplying small and medium parts to its customers. The solution was to dismantle their existing multi-container system and replace it with a process-safe RFID Kanban rack, essentially substituting in a lean and transparent workflow for a complex and error-prone process. Learn more in our case study about how Fritz Stiefel Industrie-Vertretungen GmbH was able to implement automatic replenishment management with L-mobile RFID Kanban rack.

Case Study L-mobile production Fritz Stiefel Industrie-Vertretungen GmbH
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Lean production with E-Kanban: continual replenishment with electronic Kanban

L-mobile digital production – E-Kanban Electronic Kanban for automated replenishment processes

Kanban based on multi-container Kanban uses the pull principle to control material flow and production, during which control loops ensure material supply. These control loops are interconnected, each consisting of a manufacturing stage and an upstream material store. This allows a company to flexibly react to stock levels, an essential element of lean production. If a part is used in a production step, the Kanban is the order card or identification card used to identify the used item.

Kanban is especially an advantage with lot size 1 work stations. When manual Kanban is used, the missing quantities are manually taken from the upstream material store and refilled independently in the production stage. This manual Kanban actually reduces the restocking time, but it is prone to error and cannot reflect actual consumption in real time. Electronic Kanban, on the other hand, is ideal for speeding up and maintaining the production process at all times.

More supply security with E-Kanban: the right c-parts management with Kanban

L-mobile digital production – E-Kanban with RFID Material flow

C-parts are items with low value but high procurement costs. And the right c-parts management offers a remedy to c-parts procurement issues. C-parts are like the gears in a clockwork: if one is missing, the clock doesn’t work, or at least not well. Screws, washers, and nuts are some of these c-parts components. While not essential parts of a machine, they are, however, continually needed in production. Even though their value is so low, missing c-parts can result in considerable costs.

The necessity and effort required to ensure c-parts supply is also high. Basically, if c-parts are missing, production stops, making maximum supply security the top priority for optimal c-parts management. What a good thing that c-parts management with Kanban is the best way to meet these challenges.

How does c-parts management with Kanban work?

L-mobile digital production –E-Kanban c-parts management with E-Kanban

An optimal c-parts management with Kanban offers maximum supply security for c-parts and reduces production warehouse stock down to what is necessary, thus only tying up a minimum of capital. But how does that work? The decisive factor here is reducing the complexity of processes between ordering and goods receipt, which can be done with a c-parts Kanban.

The biggest potential for optimization is not price but rather improving internal process costs. And here, L-mobile E-Kanban rack with RFID is the tool of choice. The fully automated ordering processes make internal transport costs and paper-heavy workflows a thing of the past. Instead, c-parts management with E-Kanban provides you with continual fill quantity adjustments, automatic postings, and seamless integration with your ERP system.

L-mobile production simply integrated with your ERP

Our digital production software solution provides standard interfaces for all popular ERP systems.

an overview of L-mobile E-Kanban advantages

How L-mobile digitalizes, networks, and automates your processes:

Online notifications sent directly to your ERP system

Reliable identification of Kanban cards/containers

Requirement notifications in real time

Reduction of warehouse stock levels

Freed-up floor space can be used in other ways to add value

Automatic postings without manual effort

No more incorrect postings

Company-wide solutions

Can also be used independently from the company network

Can be used for 1 to 1,000+ racks

Installation requires less time and costs

Accelerated warehouse processes

E-Kanban brings you one step closer to end-to-end digital, networked production

L-mobile is your strong partner and Industry 4.0 expert on the road to digitalization

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Digital production references

L-mobile case study: Digital warehouse management, warehouse ready for Infor COM, Mack Alu-Systeme GmbH