Operations Management: Sustainability and Supply Chain Management, Twelfth Edition

Lean and Just-in-Time

Student Tip

JIT places added demands on performance, but that is why it pays off.

Just-in-time (JIT), with its focus on rapid throughput and reduced inventory, is a ­powerful component of Lean. With the inclusion of JIT in Lean, materials arrive where they are needed only when they are needed. When good units do not arrive just as needed, a “problem” has been identified. This is the reason this aspect of Lean is so powerful—it focuses attention on problems. By driving out waste and delay, JIT reduces inventory, cuts variability and waste, and improves throughput. Every moment material is held, an activity that adds value ...