How far from Just-in-time are Portuguese firms? A survey of its progress and perception.

As competition increases, Just-in-Time (JIT) manufacturing becomes an important issue in Portuguese industry. After a brief review of its history, elements, advantages and limitations, this paper presents the results of a postal questionnaire survey about JIT system sent to a sample of manufacturing firms in Portugal, with the aim of determining the degree of development, perception and status of JIT production in Portuguese industries. The findings suggest that the surveyed firms have a basic JIT perspective: a tool to reduce inventories, to increase quality and to eliminate waste. Despite the good perception of the JIT concept, less than 6% of the firms surveyed have the necessary conditions to successfully implement a JIT system.