Just in Time. 4 page overview of the principles of just-in-time production operations management

JIT (just-in-time) Many organizations throughout the world use JIT management principles in their everyday operations. It was first developed in Japan in the late 1950s by a former shop manager and later on vice president of Toyota. In its simplest form, JIT program is directed towards ensuring that the right quantities are produced or purchased at the right time, and that there is no waste. Waste is defined as anything that doesn't add value to …

…reduced inventory, improved quality, lower costs, reduced space requirements, shorter lead times, increased productivity, greater flexibility, better relations with suppliers, increased capacity, better use of HR and more product variety. The level of results that a company will achieve depends on the suitability of JIT operations with the companies' environment. There were cases when companies achieved 90% reduction in manufacturing cycle time or 70% reduction in inventory but unfortunately not every company gets these kinds of results.