ABSTRACT
When we speak of JIT, we are talking about a management philosophy that has been superimposed like a kind of ideology on a management system. The complexity of the JIT problem arises not from the philosophy itself but from the application of the means we need today to put it into practice. We talk about the complexity of flexible machines, the complexity of demand, the complexity of manufacturing processes, and we talk about automation and microelectronics: all of which make up a multiplicity of elements of supply and demand that are at the same time connected with this philosophy. As far as corporate strategy and competitiveness are concerned, the first question is whether such a philosophy holds out any advantages for the company in the context of its competitive situation. And if we look at JIT as the opposite of the company's functional organisation based on the priniciples of Taylorism, then it is a reversal. The word "bonding" rather reminds one of the chain of a machine, but in this case it is not just mechanical: What is meant is the cooperative linking together of departments, operations etc. Here each company must determine for itself what its state of development is in regard to competition. Inevitably, within the company, there will be a certain amount of repetition of experiences that have already occurred elsewhere, which may justify the use of the word imitation, but each company must find its own solution. If you look at large complex organisations, of which automobile manufacturers are an example, then you can see that the JIT philosophy itself is a powerful challenge. In the case of Herr Stihl's firm, which by German standards would be classified as medium-sized, it is certainly easier to handle JIT. This is because all of management can be reorientated towards such an autocratic JIT philosophy by the proprietor (and managing director). In large complex organisations, greater readiness on the part of all involved is required, and the problem with the Tayloristic splitting of the task into separate functions is the heart of the 86matter. In a large firm, ensuring survival in one's own function takes precedence over the success of the enterprise as a whole.
