Section 2Â Â Just-in-Time (JIT) 1) JIT brings about competitive advantage by faster response to the customer regardless of cost. 2) One goal of JIT partnerships is the removal of in-plant inventory by delivery in small lots directly to the using department as needed. 3) Many suppliers feel that having a variety of customers is better than being tied to long-term contracts with one customer. 4) JIT suppliers have concerns that the JIT firm’s demands for small lot sizes are simply a way of transferring holding cost from the JIT firm to the suppliers. 5) A common JIT layout tactic is to minimize distance. 6) Cross-training is a common JIT layout tactic to improve flexibility. 7) JIT systems carry inventory just in case something goes wrong. 8) Hidden problems are generally uncovered during the process of reducing inventory. 9) A scheduler may find that freezing the portion of the schedule closest to the due dates allows the production system to function and the schedule to be met. 10) The first step in reducing setup times is the separation of setup into preparation activities and actual setup, so that as much work as possible can be done while the machine or process is operating.