e-based inter-enterprise supply chain Kanban for demand and order fulfilment management

The philosophy of Kanban is that parts and materials should be supplied at the very moment they are needed in the factory manufacturing process. e-based inter-enterprise supply chain Kanban are investigated on the distribution center of a global supply chain network, with information technology based pull systems being examined from the distributors back to the suppliers. Using the qualitative case study method, the study is data from a Japan based electronics manufacturing company, regional headquarter and its distributors. The research methodology comprised of establishing the value stream mapping (VSM) supply chain network for a company and tracing this from customer order back to the manufacturing order. The research findings demonstrate the novel utility of using information technology to perform the Kanban function through the demand and order fulfilment process, from distributor back to company global headquarter. This can be achieved through the use of the Internet as the distributor and global headquarter portal for contact.