Just in Time (JIT)

Just in Time is a systems approach used by companies to get rid of all wasted time and resources in their business process. It is based on the total elimination of waste.

The key elements in JIT:

a shipping truck at night
  1. JIT doesn't stop. It is not a project but an ongoing process. It has no end.
  2. JIT is planned. Everything that is done makes things run better.
  3. JIT is controlled. Things should be done at the right time, at the right place, and by the right person.

JIT originated in the industrial manufacturing sector. It was a Japanese innovation. Companies found that they could eliminate warehouse costs by filling orders as they arrived and shipping them immediately. This eliminated time taken to store goods, find goods again when filling an order and the cost of stockpiling goods that were never again ordered!

Two terms that are associated with JIT are Kanban System and Pull System. These are only part of the whole and are related to control and inventory portions of JIT. JIT has become much more than was originally intended. Other sectors including service sectors (hospitality, police, health care) have adapted the goals and objectives of JIT to their own sector.

The next time you visit a Tim Horton's, look at the computer screen above the person making the sandwiches. Each order appears with a countdown to when it should be completed. Continuous improvement, total quality control and on demand order filling are essential to the JIT system. The organization and the individual strive to improve. How does a customer or patient or student benefit from a JIT system?

How does learning fit a JIT model for adult learners? Does it? If it does, what are the benefits to the customer or student? What is the benefit to the organization or instructor?

Reflection

Do you "brown bag" it? Is this a JIT process? Why or why not? Do you shop for groceries just in time? Do people in other countries buy food just in time? Why would some people shop "just in time"?

What else do we do in our lives "just in time"?

Have you heard of learning "just in time"? What do you think it means? Is it something you have done?

Case Study

pair of glasses

Xu went to the eye doctor. She wanted to try the new contact lenses. She was fitted with a sample pair to try. She bought solution to clean her new lenses. The next day, after using the solution, her eyes hurt. The solution was too old. Did the doctor use a Just in Time system for his or her inventory control?

What strategies could the doctor use to offer his or her customers better service?