The Development of a Practical Framework for the Implementation of JIT Manufacturing

This research develops a framework to guide practitioners through the process of implementing Just In Time manufacturing in the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry. The scope of Just In Time manufacturing is determined through an analysis of its evolution and current use. Current approaches to its implementation are reviewed and shortcomings are identified. A requirement to allow practitioners to tailor the approach to the implementation of Just In Time manufacturing, according to the context of the particular manufacturing system, is endorsed. Three case studies of Just In Time manufacturing implementation within the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry, conducted as part of this research, are presented and analysed. The benefits of Just In Time manufacturing implementation in the cases are shown to be signficant and immediately apparent. Two key factors in the implementation of Just In Time manufacturing are identified. These are the concepts of perceived opportunity for improvement and distributed support for implementation. These concepts are supported by other researchers. They form the basis of the practical framework to guide the implementation of Just In Time manufacturing. The framework combines the concepts with existing research in the areas of: strategy formulation; performance measure selection; target setting; the nominal group technique; and, literature on the techniques of Just In Time manufacturing. The framework provides a novel and reliable mechanism that allows a practitioner to identify which of many potential approaches towards Just In Time manufacturing should be taken. This is achieved using the detailed mechanisms presented in the framework to evaluate the perceived opportunity and distributed support.