The manufacturing strategy literature suggests a number of areas in which decisions are of strategic importance. This study uses a survey of manufacturing executives from 213 business units in the United States to explore empirically the concept of strategic decision categories and improvement...

The problems encountered when attempting to incorporate modern systems for inventory and materials management into a rapidly developing country are discussed. Specifically, the case of present‐day China is used as the focus of the study. After reviewing some historical background for the...

The development and implementation of an integrated production and distribution planning system requires more than the optimal solution of a set of mathematical models. Success is achieved when the organisation addresses both the technical and human issues in planning. The approach followed by a...

Impressed by the remarkable improvement in productivity by Japanese manufacturing companies, many leading American counterparts are implementing their Just‐in‐time (JIT) systems. There are still several key issues to be answered for successful implementation. The results of a field survey on...

This article examines the impact of introducing computer technology in just‐in‐time (JIT) systems. Literature review has generally supported the notion that introducing computers within JIT production systems may enhance productivity. Also, the productivity of a computer integrated...

Managerial practices and perceptions in the implementation of just‐in‐time (JIT) principles and concepts are significantly different in the United Kingdom compared to the United States. In a study of 99 companies located throughout both countries, several distinct differences between the US...

Over the last two decades, growing concerns about eroding ecosystem quality have led to a renewed interest in environmentalism. Such concerns have prompted purchasing professionals to reassess their current purchasing strategy. To help purchasing professionals configure an environmentally...

The effective implementation of just‐in‐time (JIT) in the US public sector is examined in this empirical study. Specifically, the relationships between organizational modification efforts prior to JIT implementation, problems encountered during implementation and JIT success are investigated...