Just in Time (JIT) and its basic Elements : a Review

Abstract

In the past two decades, Japanese manufacturing practices in general and Just-In-Time production in particular have received a great attention from western researchers and manufacturing firms in trial to catch-up Japan in terms of quality, productivity, and low cost. The JIT advocates the elimination of waste by simplifying production processes, reductions in set up times, controlling material flows, and emphasizing preventive maintenance are seen as ways by which excess inventories can be reduced or eliminated, and resources utilized more efficiently. APICS (American Production and Inventory Control Society) defined JIT as “a philosophy of manufacturing based on planned elimination of all waste and on continuous improvement of productivity”. It has also been described as an approach with the objective of producing the right part at the right place at the right time and at minimum possible cost. Waste can be defined as any activity that adds cost without adding value such as the unnecessary transportation of materials, large WIP Inventory and the use of faulty production methods that create products requiring subsequent rework. Waste can also be defined as other than minimum amount of equipment, material, machine and space required for the production of desired product or we can say that an thing for which customer do not want to pay.