// ROBOTICS AND SMART FACTORIES TERM
Pull System
A pull system is a production strategy where manufacturing is initiated only when there is a demand for a product, pulling materials through the production process. It's demand-driven, unlike a push system.
TECHNICAL DEFINITION
A Pull System, a core principle of Lean manufacturing (e.g., Kanban), is a demand-driven production strategy where upstream processes only produce when downstream processes signal a need, minimizing work-in-progress (WIP), reducing inventory, and responding directly to customer demand, contrasting with traditional push systems.
BACKGROUND
Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of the secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high-tech, but it is most commonly applied to industrial design, in which raw materials from the primary sector are transformed into finished goods on a large scale. Such goods may be sold to other manufacturers for the production of other more complex products, or distributed via the tertiary sector to end users and consumers.
READ MORE ON WIKIPEDIASYNONYMS & ALIASES
- Demand-pull
- Kanban system
- Just-in-Time (JIT)
- Lean pull
USAGE NOTE
Implementing a pull system can significantly reduce inventory costs and lead times.
DEVELOPERS
Organizations developing technology related to Pull System.
SAP provides enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) software solutions that enable manufacturers to implement and manage pull systems through modules for production planning, demand forecasting, inventory management, and lean manufacturing.
Siemens offers a comprehensive portfolio of industrial automation, manufacturing execution systems (MES), and digital twin technology that supports the implementation and optimization of pull systems by providing real-time production visibility, demand-driven scheduling, and flexible manufacturing.
Rockwell Automation provides industrial automation and information solutions, including MES (like Plex Systems, now part of Rockwell), control systems, and analytics that help manufacturers design, implement, and operate pull-based production systems for greater efficiency and responsiveness.
Oracle's cloud-based ERP and Supply Chain Management (SCM) solutions include advanced planning and scheduling, manufacturing execution, and inventory optimization features that are critical for establishing and maintaining effective pull systems in modern manufacturing.
Dassault Systèmes, through its DELMIA brand, offers manufacturing operations management (MOM) and digital continuity solutions that enable companies to simulate, plan, and execute demand-driven production, supporting lean principles and the implementation of pull systems.
GE Digital provides MES and operations performance management software that helps manufacturers achieve lean production goals, including the implementation of pull systems through improved visibility, real-time control, and demand-driven scheduling.
Honeywell offers industrial automation and software solutions that provide real-time control, data acquisition, and operational intelligence, which are essential components for managing and optimizing pull systems in various manufacturing environments.
Aptian specializes in ERP and MES software specifically designed for manufacturing, providing tools that support lean manufacturing methodologies, including the implementation of pull systems, Kanban, and demand-driven production planning.