What is Flow Processing in manufacturing processes?

Flow Processing is a technique that causes information transactions, people, or products to be processed at a formulated rate, without wait time, queue time or other delays. Thought of as a pipeline, tasks of work progress through their required processes without stopping, hence the term "flow". 

The rate at which work progresses through its processes is called the Process Rate, Flow Rate, or "Takt". The "flow" of work is achieved by linking and balancing their processes and work elements. 

The Total Quality Management technique of "Check-Do-Check" is embedded into each grouping of work tasks.  By balancing the work performed by each resource and physically linking them together, products can then "Flow" to their point of completion without delays.  Standard Work Definitions are used to record work steps in a process and are used to define resource types needed to complete the work.  Training and certification of employees are based on Standard Work Definitions.

There is no guess work in defining people and equipment needs.  All resource requirements can be calculated for any  manufacturing processing type.

Flow Processing also uses a series of simple material management strategies: two bin replenishment, signal to work cards, and material sequencing.  Purchased and manufactured materials required to produce products are identified and placed in containers with quantities matched to the amount of time necessary for replenishment.  First-in, first-out Kanban methods reduce inventories and practically eliminates parts shortages on the shop floor.