Production kanban, which translates to "sign" or "signboard" in Japanese, instructs an upstream process on the kind and number of goods to produce for a downstream process. In a pull system, a kanban is a signalling tool that provides approval and instructions for the manufacture or withdrawal (conveyance) of products. The conveyance used by the downstream process is referred to as the "withdrawal." The assembly process and the client, the assembly process and the supplier process, and the supplier process and the vendor all benefit from kanban. The Toyota production system is founded on zero inventory, but because there are natural interruptions in flow as raw materials are transformed into completed goods and supplied to customers, some required inventory must be included. The Toyota kanban system is frequently the next best option when clean flow is impossible due to processes are too far apart or the cycle times to complete the operations vary greatly.
Dr. Mohammed Hamed Ahmed Soliman is an internationally recognized Lean expert, author, and university lecturer. He has published over 100 books and articles on Lean thinking, quality systems, and industrial excellence. He currently teaches Industrial Engineering and Management Systems at the American University in Cairo, an Executive Advisor and a member of the Advisory Committee of the IEOM International society, and consults for global organizations across manufacturing, public services, and education.
With nearly two decades of academic and professional experience, Dr. Soliman has trained professionals across the Middle East, including engagements with Princess Nourah University in Saudi Arabia and Vale Oman Pelletizing Company. He has designed and delivered over 60 leadership and technical development programs, helping organizations build a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
Earlier in his career, he worked in various industrial sectors including crystal-glass manufacturing, fertilizers, and chemicals, while educating teams on the Toyota Production System. He has led numerous lean transformation projects, delivering measurable results and uncovering substantial cost savings by targeting waste across production and service environments.
His lectures and training materials have reached over 200,000 learners via SlideShare, and his research is ranked among the most downloaded papers on the Social Science Research Network (SSRN) by Elsevier.
Dr. Soliman holds a BSc in Engineering, a master’s in Quality Management, and postgraduate degrees in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management. He also holds certifications in quality, cost, and operations management. He is a member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE) and the Society for Engineering and Management Systems (SEMS).
His insights have been featured in SAGE Publications, Industrial Management, Lean Thinking, and other peer-reviewed platforms.