Kanban is a Japanese word that loosely translated means “signboard”, or “billboard”. Kanban uses signal cards at various points in the production process to indicate the amount of work completed. In this way the amount of work in progress (WIP) can be limited and the keep the system very “lean” and “agile”. Kanban is a means through which just-in-time (JIT) is achieved. Kanban is not an inventory control system. Rather, it is a scheduling system that tells you what to produce, when to produce it, and how much to produce.