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| Kaizen
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A Japanese term for improvement - continuing improvement involving everyone - managers and workers. In manufacturing, kaizen relates to finding and eliminating waste in machinery, labor, or production methods.
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| Kanban
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Used as part of a Just-In-Time production operation where components and sub-assemblies are produced based upon notification of demand from a subsequent operation. Historically, Kanban has been a physical notification such as a card (kanban cards) or even an empty hopper or tote sent up the line to the previous operation. Kanban is actually a simplistic means of both signaling the need for inventory as well as controlling the inventory levels (by limiting kanban cards or containers).
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| Kanban
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Japanese word for visible record, loosely translated means card, billboard, or sign. Popularized by Toyota Corporation, it uses standard containers or lot sizes to deliver needed parts to the assembly line just in time for use.
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| Keiretsu
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A form of cooperative relationship among companies in Japan where the companies largely remain legally and economically independent, even though they work closely in various ways, such as sole sourcing and financial backing. A member of a keiretsu generally owns a limited amount of stock in other member companies. A keiretsu generally forms around a bank and a trading company but distribution (supply chain) keiretsus exist, linking companies from raw material suppliers to retailers.
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| Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
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A measure which is of strategic importance to a company or department. For example, a supply chain flexibility metric is Supplier On-Time Delivery Performance which indicates the percentage of orders that fulfilled on or before the original requested date.
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| Kitting
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Light assembly of components or parts into defined units, Kitting reduces the need to maintain an inventory of pre-build, completed products, but increases the time and labor consumed at shipment.
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| KPI
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Please refer Key Performance Indicator.
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