Reference no: EM134000411

Question

Just-in-Time (JIT) is a process by which each step only does what is necessary for the next step from start to finish, which is a result of the Toyota Production System (TPS) (Toyota, 2023). It was perfected over many years of continuous improvement (Toyota, 2023). This is the benefit of the PDCA cycle from last week's readings and videos. This is how continuous improvement works; kaizen principles and applied practices create systems. The most significant benefit of the TPS JIT system is how quickly flawed products can be found, eliminating waste and losses of material, labor hours, and quality (Toyota, 2023). This is how processes create sustainability; this type of system benefits. Any company that produces a product with high production costs should use this system, especially those made with non-renewable resources.

As I was reading and brainstorming the SMED (Single-Minute Exchange of Die) system, it brought me back to a job at a sawmill I had years ago. I watched "Little House on the Prairie" as a child. Knowing the evolution of the processes shows how at each point, from debarking, slab saw (big chunks of log), edger (slabs and boards), to the trim saw (pallet repair boards). SMED focuses on changeover time, the time it takes to produce the last good piece through the time it takes to make the first good piece between lots (Gemba Academy, 2009). SMED is a system for dramatically reducing the time it takes to complete equipment changeovers (Lean Productions, 2023); when I think of the innovations of production and how they made jobs more efficient and safer and organized this industry into a single set of processes shared by almost all in the industry.