Mannklein AG is a major manufacturer of metal-cutting machines. It has plants in Frankfurt and
Stuttgart. The managers of these two plants have different manufacturing philosophies.
Liisa Kurunmäki, the recently appointed manager of the Frankfurt plant, is a convert to JIT production and has fully implemented JIT by January 2014.
Thomas Ahrens, manager of the Stuttgart plant, has adopted a wait-and-see approach to JIT.
He commented to Kurunmäki: 'In my time, I have forgotten more manufacturing acronyms than you have read about in your five-year career. In two years' time, JIT will join the manufacturing buzzword scrapheap.' Ahrens continues with his 'well-honed' traditional approach to manufacturing at the Stuttgart plant.
Summary operating data for the two plants in 2014 are as follows:

Required
1. What are the key features of JIT production?
2. Compare the operating performance of the Frankfurt and Stuttgart plants in 2014. Comment on any differences you observe.
3. Kurunmäki is concerned about the level of detail on the job-cost records for the cutting machines manufactured at the Frankfurt plant during 2014. What reasons might lead Kurunmäki to simplify the job-cost records?

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January AprJulyOctober March June September December Marufacturing lead time (days) 9.2 8.7 83 .2 6.2 8.1 7.4 Stuttgart Total set-up time for machines Total production time Sturt art Total namber of units started and completed Stuttgart 52.1% 49.6% 43.8% 476 48.1 39.2% 47.5 Number of units requiring 64.7% 59.6% 52.1% 35.6% 53.8 56.251.6 52.7