Oracle Fusion Kanban Card Calculator
Kanban replenishment in Oracle Fusion Inventory and in lean production lines depends on one design decision: how many cards or containers circulate. Too few causes stockouts, too many hides problems and ties up cash. This calculator sizes the loop from demand, lead time and container quantity.
Your numbers
Time from card release to full container back at the point of use.
Buffer for demand and lead time variation.
Your results
Classic single-card kanban sizing. Signal kanbans, multi-bin systems and variable demand may need different logic.
Kanban cards vs replenishment lead time
Sweeps Replenishment lead time from 0.5 to 10, holding your other inputs fixed.
Review kanban loops against ERP data
Optional expert review of your kanban sizes against real consumption in Oracle.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use it
Enter average daily demand at the point of use and the full replenishment lead time, from the moment a card is released until the container is refilled and back. Add a safety factor that reflects variation, typically 10% to 30% for stable loops. Enter the container quantity. The calculator returns the number of cards, the total kanban quantity, the days of stock in the loop and its inventory value. Start with a higher safety factor and then remove cards one at a time as the process proves stable.
The formula
The classic formula is number of kanbans equals demand during lead time times one plus the safety factor, divided by container size, rounded up. Rounding up matters because cards are whole containers. The total kanban quantity is cards times container size, so the real buffer is larger than the safety factor alone when containers are big. This is why small containers make tighter loops: they let you tune the buffer in smaller steps.
- Cards = ceil(demand x lead time x (1 + safety) / container size)
- Kanban quantity = cards x container size
- Days of stock = kanban quantity / daily demand
Mistakes to avoid
Do not use the supplier quoted lead time if the loop includes transport, counting and travel waits; use the observed full cycle. Do not size on average demand if demand has seasonal peaks, since cards are only changed on review. Avoid large containers just because of packaging convenience, as they inflate the loop. Review loops on a regular cycle and reduce cards where they never empty, since that signals excess.
Frequently Asked Questions
What safety factor should I choose?
Begin at 10% to 30% depending on demand and lead time variation. Stable, short loops can run lower. Unstable suppliers or lumpy demand need more. Lower it gradually as evidence shows the loop is not emptying.
Why is the number of cards rounded up?
Because a card represents a whole container. Rounding down would leave the loop short of the required stock, so the formula always rounds up to the next integer.
Can I use this for supplier kanban?
Yes, as long as the lead time covers the whole supplier cycle: signal, picking, transport and receiving. Add extra safety for transport variation and for any minimum shipment size the supplier imposes.
What does days of stock tell me?
It is the total buffer in the loop expressed in days of demand. If it is much larger than the lead time in days, the loop holds more stock than the replenishment cycle justifies. Reduce cards or container size.
If you want kanban loops reviewed against actual consumption data in your ERP, we can help. It is an optional extra and the tool works without it.
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