Just-In-Time/Lean Production System: The Hidden Flaws And Constraints
TOPIC:
Just-In-Time/Lean Production System: The Hidden Flaws and Constraints
Contents
Section Page
Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------3
Academic Journal 1: Just-in-Time Under Fire: The Five Major Constraints upon JIT Practices------------------------------------------------4
Academic Journal 2: The Darker Side of Lean: An Insider’s Perspective on the Realities of the Toyota Production System--------------------------7
Academic Journal 3: The Effects of Lean Production on Worker Job Stress-----------------------------------------------------------------------------10
Overall Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------11
References----------------------------------------------------------------------13
Introduction
Just-in-time was first used by the Ford Motor Company as described explicitly by Henry Ford’s My Life and Work (1922). It was subsequently adopted and publicized by Toyota Motor Corp. of Japan as part of its Toyota Production System (TPS). The architects of the TPS, Ohno and Shingo define its essence in complementary ways. Basically, JIT/TPS’s fundamental doctrine focuses on the elimination of waste where waste is defined as any activity that does not add to customer value. JIT operates with a balanced, synchronized material flow with minimal inventory. Over time, this approach served as a critical competitive edge for Toyota Motor Corp. Currently, Toyota and GM are the biggest automakers in the world with sales of $7.05million and $7.06 million respectively for this year [1]. It is very likely that Toyota will overtake GM as the No.1 automaker probably this year – a title GM has owned for 76 years.
Many research papers have reported how implementation of JIT can reduce costs, increase productivity, competitiveness and the multitudes of benefits that come with it. Historically, the literature has been rich with JIT...
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