Practical aspects of JIT

Abstract

In today’s production practice the concept of JIT is connected to many factors which significantly decide its success or failure. These factors can be understood both like premises and like consequences. To find and describe these factors needs deep analysis and long practical surveys. Generally the core of these factors can be found in the concept of lean production. Before implementing JIT in live, mainly following factors (methods) shall be considered: Pull scheduling in Heijunka concept, Rapid setup, TQM, OEE, Jidoka and program of 5S and 3M. Each company to run JIT shall decide the prevention policy and necessary steps in order to avoid problems which may occur shortly after the implementation phase of JIT. If these factors are not well taken into account, the JIT concept itself will be a good indicator of company weaknesses (e.g. bad quality, long setup of machines, unreliable supplier) which will guarantee occur once the stock level goes down, but company will suffer from these quite a long time and finally may give up JIT at all. Nowadays kanban can be proposed as a useful driver of JIT in most companies, but the concept of this method needs precise rules and strict follow-up activities in practice.