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APPLICABILITY OF JUST-IN-TIME TECHNIQUES IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREA
Abstract
In the United States the philosophy of Just-in-Time (JIT) has been chiefly applied to manufacturing. Other non-manufacturing organizations such as hospitals and insurance companies have adopted various aspects of JIT but in a limited fashion. Organizations have not yet taken advantage of the principles of JIT in administrative functions. It is inappropriate to adopt one philosophy for manufacturing, one for marketing, one for finance, etc. An organization's underlying philosophy should be applicable to all aspects of the company and not separated according to functional areas. Organizations today tend to be overly segmented such that a great deal of duplication and conflicting efforts occur. JIT can arrest the progressive segregation of organizational tasks and functions of stimulating and maintaining a high level of wholeness. This study explores the hypothesis that the embodiment of JIT principles can be utilized effectively in the administrative area to improve operational effectiveness and efficiency. To achieve this an examination of JIT manufacturing principles was undertaken in order to identify those principles that can be utilized in an administration setting. A conceptual model was then developed and implemented within two divisions of a Fortune 500 company. The implementation phase consisted of training all employees involved, as well as monitoring their progress. Results of their efforts were then measured, examined, and analyzed. The results indicate that the principles of JIT can be successfully applied to administrative functions. Approximately 95% of all JIT projects were successful. (*p $<$.001) Eighty eight percent of all participants in this research viewed this type of approach as an effective means of increasing productivity. (*p $<$.001) Total labor hours saved on a monthly basis was 272 hours for one division and 167 for another. As a result of the high number of JIT project successes and the significant increase in productivity, it can be concluded that the underlying philosophy of JIT can be applied successfully in different companies with different administrative functions.
Subject Area
Management
Recommended Citation
BILLESBACH, THOMAS J, "APPLICABILITY OF JUST-IN-TIME TECHNIQUES IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREA" (1987). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8722397.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8722397