Lean, ‘Just-in-Time’ Management Didn’t Cause the Supply Chain Crisis

Many pundits and analysts blamed the current supply chain breakdown on the widespread use of lean and just-in-time manufacturing methodologies. Certainly, it’s true that many manufacturers developed highly efficient supply chains that, so long as they ran smoothly, enabled them to keep very low inventories. But there’s nothing in the lean and just-in-time methodologies that recommend keeping a bare minimum of parts on hand. SYSPRO’s Product Operations Manager, Roger Landman, speaks with Supply Chain Brain about this and more.