Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

THE PHILOSOPHY OF JIT

The philosophy of JIT originated in Japan. After World War II, the Japanese set themselves the goal of strengthening their industrial base, which included full employment and a healthy trade balance. Just-in-time (JIT) developed out of the nation's need to survive after the devastation caused by the war. Although many authors say that the origins of JIT can be traced back to the early 1900s, no one can argue that the philosophy gained worldwide prominence in the 1970s. It was developed at the Toyota Motor Company, and the person most often credited with its development is Taiichi Ohno, a vice president of the company. JIT helped propel Toyota into a leadership position in the areas of quality and delivery. Since then, JIT has been widely adopted in all types of industries and has been credited with impressive benefits, including significant reductions in operating costs, improved quality, and increased customer responsiveness. Companies such as Honda, GE, Ford, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Hewlett- Packard, and IBM are among those that have made JIT part of their operations. Even the retailer Zara relies on JIT.

Defining beliefs of JIT

Broad view of operations, simplicity, continuous improvement, visibility, and flexibility.

The central belief of the JIT philosophy is elimination of waste, but there are other beliefs that help define JIT philosophy. These include ...