Kanban Pull Signaling
Each workstation follows simple rules: don't overproduce (separation), match downstream demand rate (alignment), stay integrated with the system (cohesion).
Pull systems outperform push systems because local signals (actual consumption) are more accurate than central forecasts.
Demand signals propagate backward through systems like turning waves in starling flocks. When a downstream consumer needs resources, the signal travels to neighbors (upstream suppliers), then to their neighbors, coordinating the entire system without centralized planning. This is analogous to how perturbations propagate through flocks at finite speed (measured 20-30 m/s in starlings) - changes spread as waves, not broadcasts.
Business Application of Kanban Pull Signaling
Toyota's kanban system inverts traditional 'push' manufacturing (centralized schedules pushing parts regardless of demand) to 'pull' systems where downstream workstations signal upstream when they need parts. Each workstation follows simple rules: don't overproduce (separation), match downstream demand rate (alignment), stay integrated with the system (cohesion). Changes in final customer demand propagate upstream through kanban waves, coordinating the entire supply chain without central planning.