FWIW, manufacturers don't actually stock up on physical items like transmissions on site at factories in advance to support ordered builds. The majority use an inventory management system that relies on vendors to deliver ordered parts, components, assemblies, etc. Shortly before and even during the scheduled production run.
Yep. I work in manufacturing and know the concept (JIT), but Ford has been doing things lately that don't make sense, so it was just wishful thinking on my part.
I was 1st exposed to JIT in 1984 working at Hughes Aircraft in SoCal. Every industry was trying to copy success of Japanese car brands following Deming quality principles. We had weekly department "Quality Circles" where we wasted an hour brainstorming suggestions how to improve processes used in our testing every day. Nothing ever came out of it as most the suggestions had to do with training testers, and back then they were mostly non-technical who were Union and got their foot in the door in a job like 3rd shift janitor or stockroom and eventually applied their way up to "technicians" by seniority. Unfortunately for the company, these people were only able to learn 1 specific job and had to be personally trained and supervised by a SR person who had already mastered the work station. It came down to them memorizing a sequence of button pushes, knob turns and flipping switches in sequence and recording pass/fail results. They were lost on their own and could not rotate on multiple stations on their own to cover vacations, etc.Yep. I work in manufacturing and know the concept (JIT), but Ford has been doing things lately that don't make sense, so it was just wishful thinking on my part.
That must’ve been quite the experience! Working in supply chain I’ve always thought manufacturing would be an interesting industry to be in where you really make your money off of it! Instead of just being an input to carry on business. We don’t make anything in my part of the world though & to pursue it would mean either moving down east for higher cost of living & lower wages, or moving south where I’m blocked from most opportunities needing a visa. Sounds like manufacturing even in the decades since is still even more of a challenge than you see as a consumer.I was 1st exposed to JIT in 1984 working at Hughes Aircraft in SoCal. Every industry was trying to copy success of Japanese car brands following Deming quality principles. We had weekly department "Quality Circles" where we wasted an hour brainstorming suggestions how to improve processes used in our testing every day. Nothing ever came out of it as most the suggestions had to do with training testers, and back then they were mostly non-technical who were Union and got their foot in the door in a job like 3rd shift janitor or stockroom and eventually applied their way up to "technicians" by seniority. Unfortunately for the company, these people were only able to learn 1 specific job and had to be personally trained and supervised by a SR person who had already mastered the work station. It came down to them memorizing a sequence of button pushes, knob turns and flipping switches in sequence and recording pass/fail results. They were lost on their own and could not rotate on multiple stations on their own to cover vacations, etc.
Anyways, the JIT was failing miserably as suppliers and vendors were never held accountable for missed deadlines. We came to know it as NIT (NEVER in Time) and I worked at many companies large and small and always same problems. Over the decades people tried to improve JIT and offshoots were all grouped under the new general banner of "lean manufacturing". Ah, the good ole days!
Yep, JIT or just in time inventory. Covid showed that this system is fragile. The Toyota way….they can shove it up their Kanban. Add a broken supply chain, poorly operated ports, and you get the current state of the automotive manufacturing system. Lean to the bone because the meat has all been cut. Obviously I have lived it and not a fan.
