1973

1930’s-1945:

Japan’s adoption of just-in-time (JTI) JIT spreads in Japan

In 1973, Japan faced an ‘oil shock’, which further
The introduction of this method helped the
popularized the resource-efficient ‘‘Toyota
automotive manufacturer to optimise their
Production System’’
processes ,At the end of World War II Japan’s primary
objective

1977- 1980s 1988

JIT rebrands to ‘lean manufacturing’

Japan’s adoption of just-in-time (JTI)
Starting in 1977 though to 1980, articles in English
began to emerge from Japan detailing the JIT
method, which the US quickly began to adopt, as well
as other western countries.
In 1988, John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo, coined the term
‘lean production’ in an ‘MIT Sloan Management
Review’. Krafcik was using the term in reference to
both Ford and Toyota production systems.

1996 2021

General Motors’ Global Manufacturing Has COVID-19 brought to an end the JIT
System method?
Following its partnership with Toyota General Motors The COVID pandemic mercilessly exposed weak
released its ‘Global Manufacturing System’, focused points in global supply chains.Concerns are being
on flexible layouts and production processes. raised

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