Chapter 7: Just-in-Time and Lean Systems

Flashcards covering the core beliefs, elements, and impacts of Just-in-Time (JIT) and Lean systems as presented in Chapter 7 of Reid & Sanders' Operations Management.

Just-in-Time (JIT)

An all-encompassing philosophy geared to eliminate waste—anything that does not add value—by getting the right quantity of goods at the right place and the right time.

Lean production / Lean systems

A broad view of JIT that encompasses the entire organization.

Toyota Motor Co.

The Japanese company where the JIT philosophy originated following WWII to survive devastation.

Kaizen blitz

A method often used in JIT to achieve continuous improvement.

Flexibility

An organizational strategy in which a company attempts to offer a greater variety of product choices to its customers.

JIT manufacturing

A philosophy of value-added manufacturing that focuses on production systems to achieve efficiency through elements like kanbans and small lot sizes.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

An integrated effort designed to improve quality performance at every level of the organization.

Respect for people

A JIT element based on the philosophy that human resources are an essential part of the JIT system, requiring mutual trust and worker empowerment.

Pull system

A production system where the last workstation requests precise amounts of materials from the previous station, working backwards from demand.

Kanban

A production system using cards or signals to ensure the right quantities of parts arrive when and where they are needed.

Variable $T$ in Kanban calculation

The time it takes to receive an order from the previous workstation, also known as the lead time.

Variable $S$ in Kanban calculation

Safety stock used to protect against variability, usually expressed as a percentage of demand during lead time.

Kanban square

A designated space on the factory floor used for storing supplies.

Signal kanban

Also known as flags, these are used to indicate when supplies need to be ordered.

External setup

Setup preparation that can be performed while the present job is still running on the machine.

Internal setup

Setup steps that require the machine to be stopped to simplify, eliminate, or shorten adjustments.

Single digit setups

A goal to reduce machine setup times to less than $10\,\text{minutes}$.

Uniform Plant Loading

The use of a level schedule so that the same mix of products is made every day in small quantities.

Cell manufacturing

The placement of dissimilar machines and equipment together to produce a family of products with similar processing requirements.

U-shaped lines

A facility layout that provides flexibility and allows material handlers to quickly drop off materials and pick up finished work.

Jidoka

A TQM concept in JIT giving workers the authority to stop the production line.

Poka-yoke

Foolproof devices or mechanisms used to build quality into the process and prevent errors.

Preventative maintenance

Regular inspections and maintenance performed to keep machines operational and avoid unexpected breakage.

Bottom-round management

Consensus management practiced by committees or teams, emphasizing the role of production employees.

Quality circles

Small volunteer teams of employees that work together to solve quality problems.

Single-source suppliers

Suppliers that can provide an entire family of parts, allowing for long-term relationships and fewer contracts.

Push production

A traditional manufacturing system that anticipates future demand and produces items in advance.

Activity-based costing

The method used by accounting in a JIT environment to allocate overhead rather than using traditional methods.