Just-in-time production

Concept

A production principle in which parts are made and delivered only when the next step needs them, in the amount needed. It keeps stock low and is one of the two pillars of the Toyota Production System.

Description

Just-in-time means producing and delivering the right parts, in the right amount, at the moment the next step needs them. It comes from the Toyota Production System, where it is one of the two pillars next to jidoka, which stops a process when a defect appears.

JIT works by pulling: the next process signals what it has used, often with kanban, and the supplying process makes only that. Stock between steps shrinks, problems show up sooner and lead time falls. The price is that the process must be stable. Short changeovers, reliable machines, steady schedules and dependable suppliers are conditions, not extras. Without them, a small disturbance stops the whole line.

Related topics in brief

• iFAKT GmbH · Related to · Organization
  Stuttgart-based consulting company and software specialist for Industry 4.0, founded in 2001, that helps manufacturers plan and optimize production and logistics processes; developer of the Polaris software.
• Lean management · Related to · Concept
  A management approach derived from the Toyota Production System that creates more value for customers with fewer resources by removing waste, improving flow and involving the people who do the work in continuous improvement.
• Pull system · Related to · Concept
  A way of controlling production in which work is started only when the next step signals demand, instead of being pushed forward by a forecast or schedule. Kanban is its best-known tool.
• Kanban · Related to · Concept
  A pull system from lean in which visual signals, often cards, tell a process when to produce or move more parts, so work in progress stays limited and production follows actual consumption.
• Heijunka · Related to · Concept
  A lean method that levels production by volume and mix over time, so a plant follows a steady, repeating pattern instead of swings in orders, which reduces stock, overtime and lead time.
• Polaris Optimizer · Related to · Product
  Module of iFAKT Polaris that automatically generates optimized production plans under constraints such as resources, shifts, zones, qualifications and capacities.

Glossary

Experts and companies for this topic

• Mirko Peters · Microsoft MVP

Maintained by Mirko Peters (Microsoft MVP) · Last updated: 2026-11-11