4. JIT Stock Control No buffer stocks, components arrive when needed Supplier relationships have to be excellent Production staff must be multi-skilled and ready to change jobs Equipment must be flexible Demand forecasts must be accurate Latest IT equipment required Good employer-employee relationships Quality = Priority.

6. Advantages Less capital, lower op cost Lower costs Less chances of stock becoming obsolete Staff motivation Quicker response time through systems

9. Disadvantages Supply failure = System Breakdown Higher delivery costs ( small deliveries ) Order admin costs Lower bulk discounts Reliance on outsiders.

11. Lean Production Lean manufacturing or lean production, is the optimal way of producing goods through the removal of waste and implementing flow, as opposed to batch and queue. Quality output with fewer resources.

12. Simultaneous Engineering R&D done simultaneously for new products. New products arrive faster eliminating the danger of obsolesce Unlike sequential engineering.

14. Flexible Specialisms Technology + Changing consumer tastes make very short production runs Quick changes require : Flexible Work Contracts Flexible machinery Flexible Workers This leads to quicker response times, wider ranges, reduced stock holdings and increases in productivity. This is also called time based management.

16. Kaizen

17. Continuous Improvement All workers contribute Managers DO NOT know best in all cases Small makes big Management culture promotes worker involvement Quality cells that are empowered All staff are involved

18. Evaluating Kaizen Its limitations include : Senior mangers may resist Short term tangible costs Important advances made only early on Some proposed changes may require a complete overhaul and so may be expensive