Kanban, e-kanban and digital kanban aren’t the same. Kanban is a Japanese term that means "signal." It’s one of the primary tools of just-in-time (JIT) systems. It signals a cycle of replenishment for production and materials, and it should maintain an orderly and efficient flow of materials throughout the entire manufacturing process. Until the development of e-kanban, kanban was usually a printed card that contained specific information such as part name, description or quantity. Production control managers are discovering the limitations of a manual card kanban system. At its best, an integrated digital kanbanbrings high-volume production under control, cuts inventory by half and links data across locations.

When a kanban system is purely manual, cards are placed on products when they come in, pulled as the items are used and then put back in the receiving area to be recycled for new shipments. Deciding what to order and granting a release are based on counting the pulled cards, and this process can be frustrating.

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