Visual Interactive Simulation Shows How to Use the Kanban Method in Small Business

Visual simulation allowed us to show the managers of a small clothing plant how the Kanban method could help them, to persuade them to accept it, and to support its implementation. A nonvisual simulation on a minicomputer did not convince managers that the potential benefits of the Kanban method could be obtained in the shop. A series of three visual simulations on microcomputers effectively demonstrated the method and its performance advantages. Managers better understood the nature of the model and its workings. As a result, a pilot project was set up, leading in turn to the adoption of the method in the plant.