Just In Time

The Just In Time System

The JIT system (Just in Time or JIT for its acronym in English) was developed in the Motor Company Toyota in Japan, although some analysts as Schonberger (1982) indicate that the Just in Time can be placed in the Japanese industry to shipbuilding, the modern application of JIT became popular in the mid 1970's in the Toyota by Taiichi Ohno, a vice president of the company and several of his colleagues.

Reengineering project - Photo courtesy of Jupiter Images available on PicApp

Approximately 80 years, the concept just in time for the first time transferred to the United States, with accuracy to the Nebraska plant Kawasaki's Lincoln. Since then, many of the best corporations in the United States have used the JIT system, a philosophy that has achieved wide use around the world.

This system promotes the elimination of factory waste, ie waste, looking for optimal production in which raw materials are used to the fullest. However there is another important point and it also considers the use of the worker's total capacity, which is given responsibility for producing quality parts just in time to support the following production process.

If such staff is not able to fulfill the responsibility, then proceeds to stop the process and invokes the personnel involved to seek help. Besides having greater responsibility for production, workers are required to improve the process itself. The latter workers search through quality teams, suggestion systems and other forms of participation, Thus, the skills of workers are used more efficiently in the system just in time than in traditional production methods.

The objective of JIT system is not, however, worker participation, rather, is to improve profits and return on investment (ROI) through cost reductions, inventory and quality improvements. The means to achieve these goals are to eliminate waste and involve workers in the production process.

The Just in Time has its roots in the repetitive production system, which is very similar to the production line invented by Henry Ford when you start making the Model T. This system provides for the development of standard discrete products in large quantity, such as automobiles, electronics and machinery. However, you can also apply some of the concepts of JIT production in batch systems, which by nature is not repetitive, and is spreading to service industries.

Elements of a Just in Time system.

Just In Time, the master schedule or final assembly program, is planned for a fixed period of time, as one to three months in the future, to allow work centers and suppliers to plan their programs work. Within the current month is set the program daily, in this way every day produces the same amount of product.

Another thing is make it small batch programming (preferably the lot size is equal to one) in the master schedule to provide a uniform load to the plant and suppliers during each day. The advantage of this kind of program that provides teacher is almost constant demands on all work centers and suppliers that follow.

It is common design and use monthly periods of time: weekly periods can also be used if the production time (cycle) is short enough.

Just in Time uses a simple system of moving parts, which is called Kanban, to bring the parties to a workplace to the next. The idea of Kankan is to lose as little as possible in material, time and labor.

At each point in the process, are considered sales, planning is performed and projected earnings capacity. This planning process begins with an aggregate production plan is outlined on models and products.

The master schedule is intended therefore to achieve a uniform load. The horizon should be established for

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