Just-in-Time (JIT) is a system of operation where a company controls workflow through bringing in inventory and sending out finished goods depending on demand. Ideally, JIT involves a company having just enough goods to meet the demand in the market and no single unit more.
While JIT is a technique which is widely used among many industries and companies, there are some industries and companies where it is not appropriate. One of the industries is the healthcare industry. The healthcare industry involves providing medical services to patients. This is one the industries where JIT is not appropriate since hospitals cannot operate on lean inventory. This is because having a limited supply of drugs depending on the demand for medical services could result in the loss of lives. The demand for medical services is not fixed and does not rely on certain developments. It can change within a short time due to cases such as disease outbreaks and accidents. As such, while today there can be low demand for medical services, a sudden outbreak can result in a huge rise in demand and if a hospital has limited supply, then lives can be lost because there would not enough drugs and equipment to deal with this emergency and getting supply within a short time may not be possible.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Another industry where JIT is not appropriate is the emergency management industry. Companies which deal with emergency management cannot afford to use JIT since most emergencies cannot be measured in terms of what would be needed. For example, the scale of flooding cannot be measured and the resources required to manage it cannot be determined. As such, JIT cannot work in such a situation.
Generally, while JIT is a popular technique, it is not appropriate for the healthcare and emergency management industries.
Reference
Vonderembse, M. A., & White, G. P. (2013). Operations management. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
