Summary
Highlights
Just-in-Time is a manufacturing methodology primarily aimed at reducing flow times in production systems and response times from suppliers to customers. It involves receiving inventory just in time for use, focusing on eliminating waste and keeping costs low by being a lean system.
JIT allows material to flow like an assembly process. It utilizes general-purpose machinery, which is more versatile than specialized equipment. Products are manufactured in small batches or lot sizes to avoid holding large quantities of raw materials and inventory, producing only what is needed when it's needed.
Unlike a 'push' system where products are made and pushed to the market, JIT uses a 'pull' system, producing only based on customer orders (make-to-order). This prevents overproduction. Additionally, JIT employs a process facility layout, designed for different processes rather than specific products.
JIT simplifies waste reduction by minimizing setup times. Companies achieve this by having employees prepare workstations for the next day before leaving. Keeping workers in close proximity during production also reduces downtime, as they can more easily share equipment and assist each other, and breaks can be coordinated.
Total Preventive Maintenance (TPM) is crucial in JIT to prevent unexpected machine breakdowns, which can halt production. Machines are proactively maintained during non-production times, with parts ordered in advance to ensure continuous operation and adherence to schedules.
JIT systems have much shorter planning horizons, typically two to three months, compared to the standard 6-18 month range, because production is in smaller batches. The video also briefly mentions the use of Kanban cards as a scheduling system within JIT.
JIT2 involves a strong relationship between the customer and supplier, where the supplier has an employee on-site at the manufacturing facility to manage the flow of inventory and information related to their products. This differs from vendor-managed inventory, which is typically on the retail side.
JIT is a lean system designed to eliminate waste, minimize costs, and produce products in small lot sizes using general-purpose machinery. It simplifies the production process by ensuring inventory is received just in time for production, optimizing efficiency and reducing overhead.