The Impact of the Just-in-Time Approach on Production System Performance: A Survey of Italian Industry. A Review and Outlook

Abstract

Just in Time (JIT), as a wide philosophy to manage and control production activities, has dominated the way industry is run in the last decades. In the original paper the authors performed an early study on this subject, recognizing the disruptive potential of this approach and proposing a solid framework for its analysis. From the one hand, they distinguished the overall managerial approach and philosophy from the specific techniques used to implement it. While the general approach is long lasting and widely generalizable, the specific techniques might be more contingent. On the other side, they studied the impact of JIT on two set of performance dimensions, the operating conditions and the external performance of the production system. Through a wide empirical evidence of Italian companies in the metalworking industry, the authors were able to show the ability of JIT to shift the trade-off between productivity and service. The commentary underlines that, although results are today outdated, the framework proposed by the paper is still very useful to study the evolution of JIT and its impact on performance. Also, the paper is valuable for its balance between scientific rigour and practical relevance.