Just-in-Time Production ◾ 121
Study Questions
1. Walk a value stream or line of business in your organization (i) in a
production (or operations) process, and (ii) in an office process.
a. What is takt time (or demand)? How visible and understood is takt
(or demand) across the value stream?
b. What triggers production or shipping (or service provision)? How
often?
c. What is the batch size?
d. What are the main obstacles to flow across the value stream?
e. How might you improve flow across the value stream?
2. For the value stream(s) you chose in Question 1:
a. How is demand variation buffered: through inventory, capacity, or
lead time? Explain your answer.
b. How effective are current buffers?
c. How might your organization impro ...