Management information systems for JIT production

For some time now interest has been growing with respect to Japanese manufacturing and management techniques and practices. Amongst these the phenomenon known as Just-in-Time (JIT) production has received a good deal of attention. JIT appears to offer a number of appealing advantages in terms of productivity, waste reduction and human resource management. However, few firms can immediately satisfy all the necessary conditions required before JIT can be implemented in a manufacturing situation. It is in this context that this paper examines the validity of recent attempts to develop hybrid manufacturing management systems which combine aspects of Just-in-Time practice with existing MRP operations. MRP and JIT-based systems are compared and contrasted using a conceptual approach based on systems engineering principles. Finally, a number of conclusions are drawn with respect to the feasibility and desirability of integrating MRP and JIT-based manufacturing systems.