Total Quality Management - Just in Time
Just-in-Time refers to the philosophy which was first originated in Japan with regard to management and has been popularly used in Japanese organizations since the early part of 1970 (Cheng et al., 1996). The JIT philosophy was initiated and utilized by Toyota owner Taiichi Ohno, who is the initiator of this approach and has ever since been used a successful model of business in organizations in Japan and worldwide. The philosophy was originally invented and put into practice for meeting the needs and demands of customers of Toyota without causing any kind of delays or inconveniences to them (Goddard, 1986).
This approach implies several requirements including having the precise items necessary in accurate quantities appropriate to a particular given time, so that there is elimination of all wastes and focus on lean manufacturing. Research indicates that the use and applicability of the JIT approach brings about an increase in the quality of products which occurs through effectiveness and productivity which is possible due to the reduction in wastes at all levels of production which ultimately results in decreased costs of the product (Cheng et al., 1996). The JIT approach is becoming increasingly popular especially in the domain of manufacturing which involves the use of raw materials and goods in great supply.
With heavy competition, companies are looking at reducing costs at all levels of the organizations including production and manufacture. The JIT approach addresses the problems of elimination of wastes in the production levels so that costs can be cut and more value can be added to products so that with reduced prices customers can be attracted and retained (Cheng et al., 1996). More and more companies, worldwide are considering the benefits of the JIT approach as a suitable answer to reducing company costs and increasing productivity and efficiency. The JIT approach also enables companies to maintain the competitive edge without having to compromise on the quality of their products (Cheng et al., 1996). The approach also aims at improving production and enhancing effectiveness in companies without actually forfeiting the quality of the goods and products.
Similar to Customer care and Kaizen, the Just-in-Time approach is used by organizations to improve and increase the productivity without compensating for the quality of goods and services. The approach enables companies and managers to produce “high quality goods” (Landry, 2008) at highly reduced prices because of the reduced inventories and the ultimate result in the manufacturing costs of supplies (James, 1994). Appropriately applied to management, the JIT approach eliminates wasted resources and seeks the continuous improvement of productivity and effectiveness by using only the exact amount of the best quality of inventory required in the process at the particular point in time. The approach is applicable to all departments of an organization and is a tried and tested formula used by Japanese companies to by maintaining a “seamless integration” of the flow of activities and materials in the organization, without stocking any resources, thereby resulting in “lean production” (Landry, 2008).