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Supermarket: What Is It?

A Supermarket in Lean terms is a predetermined standard inventory kept to supply a downstream process.

Keeping no more than is needed, when a supermarket is empty a Kanban is often sent to the supplier to replenish the standard inventory.

Most commonly used with “bins on wheels” in a manufacturing environment, when one bin is emptied by the downstream process it can easily be replaced by another bin full of the same standard inventory.  But it could also be used with a standard inventory of medical supplies, stacks of paper or other items where you know the exact amount needed and only need a small inventory on hand.

A Supermarket is not the same as a FIFO lane, where product is only taken as needed, in order of the oldest first.

By David McLachlan

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