For a detailed discussion of lean manufacturing systems and traditional MRP see "Pull vs Push: a Discussion of Lean, JIT, Flow, and Traditional MRP".

Indeed, JCIT has been the pioneering source of the philosophies and techniques behind flow manufacturing. Flow manufacturing is a method that replaces shop-floor silos (i.e., machines grouped by their function) and traditional scheduling and forecasting with process-based or product family-based production lines (often referred to as cells) designed to fill orders based on daily demand. The idea is to be flexible enough to keep work-in-progress (WIP) moving smoothly and continuously, while eliminating bottlenecks and the underutilization of capacity. This particular flow derivative of the lean philosophy was developed and refined by John Costanza. Mr. Costanza leveraged what he learned from his exposure to the Toyota Production Model and what he subsequently applied while working at Hewlett-Packard to develop specific disciplines and mathematical techniques for implementing demand pull and continuous flow concepts. He named this methodology Demand Flow Technology (DFT), and started Englewood, CO-based John Costanza Institute of Technology (JCIT) in 1984, which has educated thousands of manufacturers.

The term flow manufacturing is closely related and thus often somewhat confused with other demand-driven manufacturing strategies that also streamline processes and eliminate waste. These strategies, such as agile, just in time (JIT), and lean manufacturing, all use kanban signals to replenish supplies and are subject to continuous improvement. For more detail on JIT and lean manufacturing and on their impact on ERP, see Trends Affecting Manufacturers and ERP.

However, flow manufacturing leverages some additional techniques to help manufacturers create any product on any given day (i.e., through the so called mixed-model production), while keeping inventories to a minimum and shortening cycle times too fill customer orders ever more quickly. Flow manufacturing in particular leverages mathematical tools to automate some of the aspects of lean manufacturing. For example, a mathematical model determines the daily production commensurate with demand, defining line designs so that materials flow at a steady rate to meet demand, and improving throughput by way of proper sequencing. The idea is to synchronize product assembly as to be able to make each like product unit at a consistent rate to meet the particular day's demand. The takt time (i.e., the available production time divided by the rate of customer demand) and total product cycle time (TPCT) are used to determine how to sequence the flow of products, to decide what type of kanbans to use and what resources are needed, and to make other decisions related to line design. The Japanese word kanban, loosely translated, means card, billboard, or sign, and the term is often used synonymously for the specific JIT scheduling system developed and used by the Toyota Corporation in Japan. It is a pull system in which work stations signal with a card that they wish to withdraw parts from feeding operations or suppliers.