The relationship between JIT practices and type of production system

After World War II, the Japanese incrementally applied new management pract ices to improve their global competitiveness. With refinement and systemati c integration of these new practices the Japanese achieved a new manufactur ing paradigm and, by the 1970s, a competitive superiority in the marketplac e. In an effort to emulate the success achieved by Japanese manufacturers, US managers began to apply these new management practices in their organiza tions. These management practices were introduced as just-in-time (JIT) man ufacturing. US managers have progressed through a series of trial and error efforts to apply these new management practices and still do not understan d many of the issues associated with JIT implementations. This study attemp ts to address some of the misunderstandings associated with JIT implementat ions. A systems approach is utilized for collecting data and analyzing pert inent relationships associated with JIT implementations in US manufacturers . Findings from the study suggest that an association exists between implem ented JIT practices and type of production system. In addition, this is the first study to show the benefits attributed to JIT implementation as a fun ction of implementation status of specific JIT management practices and typ e of production system. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.