Just-in-Time (JIT) Manufacturing

Paper Summary:

In our newly competitive global economy, manufacturers of all kinds have been forced to search for new opportunities that strategically reduce costs, yet still increase potential manufacturing revenues. The manufacturing of automobiles is just one such example of an industry adopting a new manufacturing process or philosophy in order to adjust to the global business environment, which has been fueled by the likes of foreign cheap labor, as well as all new emerging markets. The paper shows that, in the 1990s, reducing the labor force was the main corporate option, as layoffs, downsizing, and corporate re-structuring symbolized the approaches of companies attempting to produce quality outputs and cutting costs. Today, the manufacturing processes are working at bare-bones efficiency, so an all-new approach was required to meet the even higher quality demands of the consumers. Considering the likes of automobile manufacturers such as Ford Motor Company and General Motors, this paper shows that the automobile manufacturing industry began following the philosophies that were introduced by Toyota: Just-In-Time manufacturing. The philosophy of Just-In-Time inventory control was supposed to deliver new and far superior quality control methodologies, while at the same time creating much more efficient manufacturing processes. However, the Just-In-Time system or process approach has recently been referred to by many top executives as a management philosophy of doing business as opposed to being a technique for improving efficiency. This report, therefore, presents some insights into Just-In-Time manufacturing and also provides insight into some of the inherent difficulties associated with the Just-In-Time manufacturing process.

From the Paper:

"The driving force of the Just-In-Time philosophy is the reduction of product defects. Manufacturers are well aware that with the internet and global television news, a single defect that is highly publicized could in affect destroy a producer's reputation. Thus, products today have the inherent need of being a completely defect-free which therefore entails that the manufacturing process of all components and parts must also be defect free."

More papers on Just-in-Time (JIT) Manufacturing:

• Business Plan # 62118 : "Just in Time (JIT) Manufacturing"
• Case Study # 119642 : "Just in Time (JIT)"
• Term Paper # 105563 : "Just-In-Time Inventory Systems"

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