Just-in-time manufacturing

A production approach that supplies materials and components close to when they are needed, reducing inventory through coordinated flows and replenishment.

Kanban: A visual signaling method that authorizes production or replenishment when downstream demand occurs. Kanban cards or signals trigger replenishment only as parts are consumed.
Toyota Production System: An integrated manufacturing system developed at Toyota, centered on eliminating waste and improving flow. Just-in-time is one of the system’s two foundational pillars.
Kiichiro Toyoda: A Japanese industrialist who founded Toyota Motor Corporation and promoted production aligned with demand. His emphasis on making only what was needed helped frame Toyota’s just-in-time principle.
Supply chain management: The coordination of sourcing, production, transportation, and delivery across a supply network. Just-in-time depends on coordinating flows across firms, not only inside one factory.
Inventory management: The planning and control of stock to balance availability, cost, and operational needs. Just-in-time changes inventory control from holding buffers toward frequent replenishment.
Takt time: The production rate needed to match customer demand over available working time. Takt time sets the pace that production and material delivery must support.
Continuous flow manufacturing: A production method that moves work through successive steps with minimal waiting or batch accumulation. Continuous flow shortens the time between material input and finished output.
Taiichi Ohno: A Toyota engineer and executive who developed major elements of the Toyota Production System. Ohno translated just-in-time into practical production and replenishment methods.
Supplier relationship management: The processes for selecting, coordinating, and developing an organization’s suppliers. Frequent replenishment requires dependable suppliers and close operational coordination.
Bullwhip effect: The amplification of demand fluctuations as orders move upstream through a supply chain. Frequent ordering and poor information sharing can magnify variability rather than remove it.

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