Why There are Now So Many Shortages

[Harlock]

Wendover productions has a video on shortages that uses car manufacturing as a prime example of how not to do things. Interestingly, a lot of the video centers around how Toyota started one of the biggest problems and is attemtping to fix it.

 

[mscot]

I dont need to watch the video to know the answer is JIT supply chain management.

 

[Too Stroked]

I dont need to watch the video to know the answer is JIT supply chain management.

You obviously didn't watch the video. I can't tell you how many self proclaimed experts fault JIT for current shortages. Having spent 35+ years in manufacturing - the last 15 implementing Toyota Production System principles - I can assure you that JIT was not the cause - just as the video clearly states. The real cause was short sighted management selectively implementing whatever parts of TPS that showed them short term gains. Relentlessly eliminating inventory before understanding the causes and needs for that inventory is what is killing these short sighted mangers right now.

I'll make another sure to be disputed prediction here. Toyota - and other companies who have correctly implemented TPS - will recover faster from theses supply chain shortages than classic mass manufacturers. If he was still around, Henry Ford's production system would have been completely wiped out by the Pandemic and it's fall out.

 

[Elvir555]

I sure hope these shortages dont last. I got an email from Gobi about my rack being pushed back even more past the 16 weeks due to supply shortages and i just placed an order for a C4 low pro wench bumper and the projected delivery time is end of September. Crazy!