Toolpath
• 62 min
#10 Chips and Tips — Can Kanban Ban Me From Ordering Wrong?
Chips and Tips Podcast
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When Justin Gray nearly derailed a webinar by running out of endmills, it was a wake-up call. Joined by Ariel Eisen of Arda and Austere Manufacturing, this episode dives into how Kanban systems turn everyday shop frustrations into smooth, efficient workflows, without adding software or stress.
Can Kanban Ban Me From Ordering Wrong? episode summary
If you've ever scrambled last-minute to find tooling, only to realize you're down to your last endmill, you're not alone. In this episode of the Toolpath podcast, CTO Justin Gray shares exactly that scenario, one that pushed him into the world of Kanban inventory management. What follows is a deep-dive conversation with Ariel Eisen of Arda and Austere Manufacturing, where they unpack how Kanban can save your shop from hidden inefficiencies.
“We ran out of a 3-cent plastic bag and couldn’t ship a $3,000 order.” — Ariel Eisen
At its core, Kanban is about removing ambiguity. As Ariel explains, “Kanban means signal in Japanese,” and its roots go back to the Toyota Production System. It's a visual, physical method for triggering reorders, using cards placed at specific inventory thresholds. Instead of guessing whether you’ve got enough inserts or endmills to last the week, a Kanban system tells you, no mental gymnastics required.
Justin’s journey into Kanban started with a familiar frustration: breaking tools during a Toolpath webinar and not knowing where he’d sourced replacements. That friction sparked his shift to ARA’s Kanban solution, and from there, an entirely new level of shop clarity. But as Justin notes, “It felt like Kanban should be dead simple… but I wasn’t sure I was doing it right.” That’s where Ariel steps in, walking through common pitfalls and practical setup strategies.
The conversation is rich with actionable takeaways:
- How to integrate reorder bins into your flow
- Use 3D printing for organizing tools
- Trigger shop tasks like prep work or file retrieval from Kanban signals.
It’s not just about ordering parts, it’s about designing a system that keeps your team focused and your machines running. “The net effect,” Ariel says, “is you stop having to run around the shop checking on things”.
For shops with hybrid workflows or complex purchasing pipelines, Ariel shares how they built a multi-bin station at Austere, complete with status tracking through ARA. The big insight? It doesn't have to be digital to be powerful. A Sharpie, an index card, and some discipline can unlock a surprisingly high return on time.
“I think you’re not alone in that… where the rubber meets the road and how to roll it out, where to focus your time—that’s something that took us a while to figure out.” — Ariel Eisen
Whether you’re new to Kanban or looking to refine your current setup, this episode is a must-listen. It’s a practical guide to getting started, avoiding missteps, and designing a process that scales as you grow.
