Why use a kanban system for drawing production?
Kanban is a Japanese term for signal. In Lean manufacturing, it is a way to track work-in-process production. It signals a cycle of production and materials and is used to maintain an orderly and efficient flow of materials throughout a production process. In manufacturing it usually comprises a printed card that contains specific information such as part name, description, quantity, and so on. Architects have developed computer-aided design (CAD) systems that do not allow for the active, over-the-shoulder, in-progress oversight once utilized with hand drawings. With CAD, drawing progress can be measured only by stopping production and printing and reviewing. Without stopping production, it is difficult to know what progress has been made. With this in mind, the drafting team experimented with creating a kanban system to review drawing progress to remedy quality-control failures in documentation for a complex hospital project requiring revision approval from the OSHPD, a California sta
