A comparative analysis and review of JIT “implementation” research

Compares the research done in the area of JIT implementation in the past decade, identifies critical JIT elements, and groups the elements into broader factors. An extensive literature search was conducted to identify over 130 JIT implementation articles published in both professional journals and proceedings. Initial screening process led to the identification of 105 JIT implementation research articles published since 1980. Each of these 105 articles was reviewed to identify 28 JIT implementation elements. These JIT implementation elements are subsequently grouped into five broader factors. Criteria as the measure of importance of these elements was based on the frequency of citation. The results obtained from this research show that elimination of waste and production strategy are the most specific critical factors of JIT implementation. Followed by three other critical factors: quality control and quality improvement, management commitment and employee participation, and vendor/supplier participation.