Murphy Case Analysis.

The JIT approach to manufacturing involves timing the delivery of resources so that they arrive just when needed. Inventory optimization models help the firm determine how many of which items in which sizes should be delivered to each specific store during twice-weekly shipments, ensuring that each store is stocked with just what it needs. Trucks serve destinations that can be reached

Lastly, the just-in-time (JIT) approach is an operating philosophy that requires that all resources, including materials, personnel, and facilities, be acquired and used only as needed (Mazumder, 2007). The JIT approach works great for manufacturing companies because of their common classes of material that they use which are raw materials, work-in-process, and finished goods (Mazumber, 2007). According to JIT concept raw materials are received just in time to go into production, manufactured parts are completed just in time to be assembled into products, and products are completed just in time to be shipped to customers (Mazumber, 2007). The

Small business are said to be the backbone of the United States economy. It said that small businesses contribute to growth and vitality in the specific area of the United States economic development. Small businesses play a huge role in how the business world is shaped. Entrepreneurs are smart, creative and innovative however, those same entrepreneurs need to have some knowledge that the study of microeconomics focuses on. With the study of microeconomics, their product or future business will succeed in an economic view point.

Using ABC also allows the company to use the Just in Time (JIT) system. This system allows ensures materials are purchased just in time to produce the products, and products are completed just in time for delivery. JIT uses the demand-pull system to receive the order, schedule production, delivered materials, and finished product delivered to the customer. This lessens the amount of excess parts and inventory saving the company money as well.

Small businesses are the backbone of national economy and play a leading role in innovations as well as in creating jobs. Small business has the intrinsic needs to growth. Obvious contributions of the growth of small businesses include the increased return on investment and job creation. The interesting and valuable question is how small business grows and are all small businesses growing? It is no surprise that the growth of business is a core topic both in organization theory and entrepreneurship, both are interested in the process and causes of business growth. Stages of growth models, which assume that business go through some distinct stages from birth to maturity, have been the most popular theoretical approach in academic to understand small business growth. Although the stages model of growth has been criticized for being too sequential and linear which is unrealistic and inconsistent with empirical evidence (e.g. Phelps et al., 2007; Levie and Lichtenstein 2010), various new stages models of business growth have been developed since the 1960s.

4) Exploring the possibility of implementing JIT (Just in Time) system that can reduce the finished goods inventory at

Just In Time (JIT): A just in time approach maintains only required inventory in demand; it uses previous year’s statistics to dictate the amount of inventory to be kept on hand (Business.com). The benefits of a just in time approach are that it reduces inventory, shipping fees, depreciation, and doesn’t waste product.

In accomplishing this, the JIT lean production process will minimize use of facility space, materials and supplies, stocks, labor, capital and time. This, in turn, will reduce costs by increasing production efficiency and overall output.

As argued by Lubben (1988), JIT allows businesses to have better management since this ensures that there is no loss as there is sufficient number of clients requiring the equipment. This reduces her to deal with huge deliveries when the clients’ numbers are not increasing. (Lubben, 1988, p.4) also suggested the idea of JIT that “... major elements of manufacturing – capital, equipment and labour are made available only in the amount required and at the time required to do the job.” So it is a good practice by utilising JIT approach as it reduces wastes and ensure the correct amount of equipment is available (Lubben,

Small businesses are mighty minnows, reflecting the competitive spirit that a market economy needs for efficiency; they provide an outlet for entrepreneurial talents, a wider range of consumer goods and services, a check to monopoly inefficiency a source of innovation, and a seedbed for new industries; they allow an economy to be more adaptable to structural change through continuous initiatives embodying new technologies, skills, processes, or products (Ibielski 1997, p. 1).

Small businesses are becoming a trend in the work environment today. The analogy of small businesses to large business brings about the question, “Can they eventually equal up in the world

JIT inventory system provides constant quality of goods, if done properly. Less lead times, speedy manufacturing

Harley Davidson’s success with the implementation of JIT had a lot to do with the fact that when JIT was put into practice, process problems could no longer be hidden by costly inventory that helped to meet ship dates. The inefficiencies in the processes were quickly identified and solved.

According to [5], Just-in-Time (JIT) inventory management enables an organization to gain competitive advantage by not having a large or excessive amount of inventory in warehouse. The organization only needs to order the parts when they are actually needed and new materials are produced only when old materials have finished. One advantage of adopting this strategy is that there will be no excess of inventory that needs to be stored and hence the inventory levels will be reduced as well as the cost of carrying and storing goods. One major disadvantage of this is that the organization will expose it in the risk of ordering problems for example a supplier is not able to provide parts on time. The result of this is that the organization cannot fulfill the order and contributes to customer dissatisfaction.

The importance of small and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) in the economy of any country cannot be overlooked. In fact for nearly 15 years, most researchers dealing with economic planning have highlighted the significance of these enterprises stating that they are a key player in realizing any country’s economic goals. As such, governments as well as other organizations with interest in development are laying plans and strategies to promote the establishment of Small and Micro Enterprises. This is seen as a move to ensure that there is full participation of SMEs in the country’s economy. The Small and Micro Enterprises have been known to contribute to a large extend as a source of innovation, entrepreneurial skills as well as source of employment. For example, statistics in 25countries of the European Union show that 99% of the jobs provided to its citizens come from the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises. Rowe (2008) points out that the British economy relies heavily on the participation of SMEs. On the other hand, 99% of the UK’s economy is composed of small and micro enterprises.