Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) Practice Exam

What do both lean and JIT practices primarily focus on eliminating?

1. Time consumption

2. Defects

3. Waste

4. Excess inventory

The correct answer is: Waste

Lean and Just-In-Time (JIT) practices primarily focus on eliminating waste in all its forms. The core philosophy behind these methodologies is to streamline processes, increase efficiency, and enhance value to the customer by doing more with less. Waste is defined broadly in this context and can include various elements such as excess production, waiting times, unnecessary transportation, over-processing, excess inventory, defects, and unused talent. By eliminating these forms of waste, organizations can reduce costs, improve quality, and increase flexibility. While time consumption, defects, and excess inventory are important considerations in lean and JIT practices, they are often seen as specific types or categories of waste. By focusing on waste in general, lean and JIT approaches provide a holistic view of improvement opportunities within supply chain and operational processes. This comprehensive focus leads to a more sustainable and effective implementation of efficiency-enhancing strategies.