Lean production system

Visual tools make complex information easier to understand. They also help the whole team speak the same language, move in the same direction, and make decisions more quickly. They are a practical way to ensure that the process proceeds without problems in the production environment. Understanding and sharing information quickly is extremely important in the management of a business. For this reason, using visual management tools affects the efficiency of lean production. Thanks to these tools, everyone on the team can easily see what is going on. Problems can be detected quickly, and people can work better together. Visual management tools include many different techniques and systems. Kamishibai is also one of the important visual management tools used in lean production.

Formed from the combination of the Japanese words kami (paper) and shibai (theater/play), this technique originates in the illustrated scrolls that Buddhist monks used to tell stories in temples in the 8th century.

The Kamishibai Board

It is an extremely effective Visual Management tool that shows, at a glance, the status of the standard audits and routine jobs that must be done on the shop floor (Gemba). The basic logic of the board rests on the "T-Card" system. Two-colored cards (generally one face Green, the other face Red) are used for each task.

• 🔴 Red Face: It shows that the task has not yet been done, or that the time for the check has come.
• 🟢 Green Face: It shows that the task has been completed successfully and conforms to the standards.

Advantages Provided by Kamishibai

• Zero Concealment: When the manager goes down to the shop floor, they see where the breakdown is at a single glance (by scanning quickly with the eyes).
• Discipline and Habit: It prevents audits from being brushed aside "just to fill in a form," and provides live follow-up on the shop floor.
• Rapid Action: Red cards are early-warning signals so that the problem is solved before it grows.

What We Can Audit with the Kamishibai Board

Kamishibai boards are generally used to maintain the standards in the areas listed below:

1. 5S Standards: Whether the area complies with the rules of cleanliness, order, and layout.
2. Occupational Safety (OHS): use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), and whether emergency exits are clear.
3. Autonomous Maintenance: daily lubrication, cleaning, and leak checks of the machines.
4. Quality Control: first-piece approval, and the calibration status of measuring devices.

Hierarchical Structure of the Kamishibai Board

Application of the Kamishibai Board in Visual Warehouse Management

Warehouses are the heart of a business's material flow and one of the areas where operational costs are most concentrated. A warehouse that is complex, disorderly, and where standards have not been set causes loss of time, incorrect shipments, occupational accidents, and an uncontrolled increase in inventory costs. Visual management of the warehouse is a method that visualizes processes, inventory information, and rules so that everyone can see and understand them immediately. It is of great importance in warehouse management because, by optimizing the space, it provides speed, safety, and error-free operation. To increase the effectiveness of the Kamishibai application in the warehouse as well, warehouse management processes are divided into stages, and what will be checked at each stage is determined. The headings and checks below can be given as an example;

1. Goods Receiving and Shipping Area (Daily Checks)
   • Goods Receiving Area: Is the goods receiving area empty? Is the necessary equipment ready?
   • Inbound-Outbound Arrangement: Were the products unloaded in the goods receiving area assigned a location without being kept waiting for more than 24 hours?
   • Waste Management: Have the empty pallets, stretch film, and scrap cardboard coming out of shipping been sorted into the relevant waste areas?
2. Forklift and Equipment Management (Daily Checks)
   • Charging Station: Is the forklift/battery-powered stacker charging area clean? Is the fire extinguisher accessible?
   • Equipment Check: Have the daily check forms of the forklifts (hydraulic, brake, horn, lights) been filled in, and are the vehicles clean?
   • Handheld Terminals: Are the barcode readers and handheld terminals in their slots and on charge?
3. Occupational Safety and Pedestrian Paths (Daily Checks)
   • Pedestrian Lines: Are the pedestrian paths and the forklift paths completely open? Has material been left on the lines?
   • Blind Spots: Are the safety mirrors at the warehouse intersections clean and adjusted to the correct angle?
   • Emergency: Is the front of the fire cabinets, fire extinguishers, and electrical panels clear by at least 1 meter?
4. Addressing and Rack Layout (Weekly Checks)
   • Rack Safety: Are the rack upright protectors sound? Is there impact/deformation on the racks?
   • Label Accuracy: Do the products on the racks match the address labels in the system? Is there a blind spot or an unlabeled product?
   • Upper-Level Safety: Are the pallets on the high racks properly stretch-wrapped? Is there a risk of tipping?

Structure of the Kamishibai Board 

• • Time Axis: Divide the board horizontally into Days (Monday - Saturday) or vertically into Shifts (1st Shift - 2nd Shift).
  • Card Pockets (T-Slot): Use plastic or transparent pockets into which the cards can easily be inserted and turned.
  • "There Is a Problem" (Action) Section: Open a small whiteboard area under the board. If a card remains Red, the person responsible for the warehouse must write the problem there (e.g.: "There is impact damage on the rack, the maintenance team has been notified - 12.07.2026").

Location of the Board inside the Warehouse

The board can be hung in the busiest place in the warehouse, where everyone can see it, for example near the warehouse chief's desk, or in the Gemba area.

Application Steps

1. Preparation of the Cards (Standardization)
   Double-sided T-cards (front Green, back Red) are prepared for each audit focus. What will be checked, where, and how must be written on the card very clearly and briefly.
   Example: "Rack A-19 has been hit and is damaged, Location Label Missing "
   
2. Reset – Starting the Shift
   At the beginning of each shift or day, the person responsible for the board (for example the warehouse chief) places all the cards to be checked that day into the pockets on the board so that the RED face is visible. Red means "This job has not been checked yet."
3. Going to the Shop Floor and Auditing (Gemba Walk)
   The designated auditor (shift supervisor, warehouse manager, or assigned operator) selects one or several cards from the board, takes them in hand, and goes inside the warehouse, that is, to the actual work area (Gemba). They examine on the spot the item written on the card.
4. Turning the Cards (Visual Status)
   When the auditor returns to the board according to the situation they saw on the shop floor, they place the card:
   • CONFORMING (Green): If the area that was checked conforms to the standards (for example if the pedestrian path is completely clear), the card is turned over and put on the board so that the GREEN face remains outward.
   • NOT CONFORMING (Red): If there is a problem (for example if a pallet has been left on the pedestrian path), the card remains RED.
5. Taking Action and Follow-up
   Every card that remains Red on the board is an alarm. The warehouse chief writes the problem, the person responsible, and the due date in the "Action" section next to the board. That card cannot turn green until the problem is solved and the shop floor is safe and orderly again.

The Visual Meaning of the Board during the Day

Any manager or employee passing in front of the board can analyze the condition of the warehouse within seconds:

• If most of the board is green: Things in the warehouse are going as planned, and the standards are being maintained.
• If there is a concentration of red on the board: Order in the warehouse has broken down, and there are urgent situations that require action.
• If the cards are still red even though the shift has ended, and no action is written underneath: It means the audits have not been carried out, and discipline in the system is failing.

Conclusion

In today's conditions, in which competition has become multidimensional, warehouse management has gained an important place if companies are to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. In line with the lean management philosophy, visual techniques must be used so that the warehouse can be managed in a way that protects the resources of the business. For this purpose, the Kamishibai board can provide employees and managers with a great convenience.