JIT purchasing: attribute classification and literature review

To find critical JIT purchasing attributes for manufacturing industry, 56 refereed articles are reviewed. These articles are categorized as conceptual, case and empirical studies. Thirty-four attributes are thus identified. An input-output model is developed to classify these attributes. The inputs to JIT purchasing environment consists of buyer, supplier and joint buyer-supplier actions with 13, six and six attributes, respectively. The interaction between these attributes leads to the JIT purchasing environment. Output of this environment consists of nine attributes. By using the frequency of citation of an attribute as a measure of its importance, consensus is found among conceptual and case studies regarding those attributes of JIT purchasing considered critical. However, many of these attributes have not been investigated empirically, while others have not been rigorously examined. Common supplier evaluation criteria are identified. Benefits and problems with JIT purchasing implementation are discussed. Analysis suggests the need for comprehensive and statistically rigorous empirical studies.