Interaction of design and operational parameters in periodic review kanban systems

In this study, we propose an analytical model to determine the withdrawal cycle length, kanban sizes and number of kanbans simultaneously in a multi-item, multi-stage, multi-period, capacitated periodic review kanban system. Traditionally, research in kanban systems has been separated into ‘design level’ research, and ‘shop floor level’ research. In both veins of research, especially for the design level, various algorithms have been developed. However, it is important to state that there is a significant relationship between the design parameters and the operational issues, such as kanban schedules and actual lead times. Therefore, we analytically consider the interdependencies between the design and operational decisions, and evaluate their impact on each other.