Just in Time Scheduling - JIT
JIT techniques are being widely adopted by operations managers in manufacturing companies in the West. JIT ideas have not only had a profound impact in manufacturing companies, but also in service industries. JIT can be conceptualised on two levels:
- As a philosophy which provides vision and strategy for the organisation, and
- On a lower level, it is a set of tools which managers use on a daily basis.
Before discussing JIT in detail, it is essential to first understand the philosophy. JIT originated in Japan and is used extensively in that country.
Outside Japan some managers felt threatened by the competitive edge which JIT gave Japanese companies and thus saw JIT as 'Japanese Inspired Terror'; alternatively, some managers regarded it as 'clever' and 'neat', that is 'Just Intelligent Thinking'. The latter is more appropriate. The philosophy of just-in-time is one which attempts to add value at the latest possible moment and thus eliminate all wasteful or non-value adding activity. This philosophy seems particularly appropriate for a country like Japan whose main natural resource is an able and intelligent workforce.
There is no secret ingredient or hidden formula responsible for the success of the best Japanese companies. No theory or plan or government policy will make a business a success; that can only be done by people.
The JIT philosophy is founded on two basic cornerstones:
- Elimination of waste
- Respect for people.