In a globalized economy where manufacturers have moved ever more toward lean inventories and "just-in-time"

production -- keeping ultra-low quantities of parts on hand to avoid holding expensive stocks of parts -- a speedy
response was vital because a disruption to the global supply chain would spread quickly, shuttering plants employing
legions of workers around the world.

Even under normal conditions, bringing suppliers back online after a disruption can be a lengthy process for the most
basic parts. It requires careful calibration and extensive testing. So the road to recovery could be a long one.

Break in Supply
 JIT can be a problem because business has to depend on each other. The supplier depends
on the manufacturer, the manufacturer depends on the supplier and the customer depends
on both. If a layoff or strike occurs one company may not produce as much product and this
can affect the next company in the chain. Because this is a supply and demand system, if
the consumer is buying less of a product this will affect both the manufacturer and the
supplier.

Alterations
 The other main complication with just in time systems is when a product changes. If quality
dictates that a product be altered in mid production the whole product will have to be thrown
away and another one will be created from the beginning. JIT does not allow for changes in
products because parts are not stockpiled. Only what is needed for a particular item, an
exact quantity, is kept on hand.