Just‐in‐Time Manufacturing and Material Handling Trends

Describes the evolution, concept and strategies of just‐in‐time(JIT) manufacturing, focusing on the application of material handling within a JIT environment. Argues that a dynamic and ever‐changing environment requires an understanding of JIT principles: all companies are not just a separate collection of internal functions; they are a system in which the flows of information, material, manpower and money determine the basic tendencies towards growth, fluctuation and even decline. Explores the inter‐relationships between an organization′s operations and the interactions of the production‐distribution system through the re‐creation and testing of a production‐distribution model diagram. Lastly, assesses the possible effects of JIT strategies on manufacturing and distribution companies in the Single European Market of 1993.