3
The New Competition and the Old Barriers
FOR SOME TIME NOW Japanese manufacturers have been one of the more formidable competitors in the globally competitive manufacturing environment. On the other hand, their successes are no longer limited exclusively to them. Manufacturing operations in countries around the world have begun a relentless commitment to a new system of production that significantly enhances product quality, employee productivity, and customer satisfaction. While this system is built on the key principles of the Toyota Production System (TPS) or the just-in-time (JIT) operating philosophy, understanding and implementing the physical dynamics of JIT is only one small step in the right direction. For any firm seeking to ...
