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Examines Just‐in‐Time (JIT) from its evolution as a Japanese concept through to a review of its philosophy and implementation. Cites several techniques of implementation. Includes a review of the early work of various researchers and practitioners. Concludes that JIT is a very effective manufacturing philosophy which is universal in nature encompassing all aspects of manufacturing. Suggests a few deficiencies in current literature.

A review of recent literature is presented relating to general Just‐in‐Time (JIT) philosophy, its supply bases and on the formalised and mathematical models. JIT has become a subject of much interest and some little controversy in recent years and has attracted the interest of many major manufacturing organisations in the West as well as in Japan where it was originally developed. A growing and developing literature on this subject has been published particularly since the late 1970s. An attempt is made to draw major conclusions regarding benefits and relevance to Western manufacturing industry.

Increasing competitive pressure over the past 20 years has forced many companies to re‐evaluate their value‐added systems. This re‐evaluation has greatly amplified the managerial attention focused on purchasing. Indeed, many firms have begun to emphasize purchasing in their attempts to improve their competitive positions. Two advanced sourcing practices have been particularly important: global and JIT sourcing. This paper: 1) reviews the literature pertaining to these two sourcing practices, 2) considers potential competitive impact, 3) explores issues of compatibility, and 4) presents future research directions.

Provides a comprehensive review of various modelling approaches related to Just‐in‐Time (JIT) manufacturing. JIT is essentially a philosophy for reducing lead time as well as excessive work‐in‐progress inventories. Based on this concept a number of techniques have been developed for the design, planning, scheduling and control of JIT manufacturing systems. Reports on a comparative study of these approaches for JIT manufacturing along with the conventional manufacturing approaches and alternative systems for JIT manufacture. Explores future research areas.

Words like “marriage,” “mutual trust” and “partnership” are often used to describe buyer‐supplier relationships in a Just‐in‐Time environment. Using a transaction cost economics framework, we contend that this structure is and will continue to be the most efficient arrangement for both parties, as long as the balance of power is maintained. However, as the relationship evolves over time, the balance of power can shift and “cooperation” can turn into abuse.

Computer simulation techniques are used to evaluate the performance of a welding assembly line which requires modification to achieve some of the philosophies of a just‐in‐time manufacturing environment. The simulation of the existing line using GPSS/H confirmed the operational problems which had been previously identified, and allowed the validation of the computer model. The computer model was then altered to evaluate the performance of several alternative modified assembly lines which would avoid the present operational problems. Discusses some of the techniques used to develop these models, their simulation using the GPSS/H simulation language, and the benefits of using simulation in analysing manufacturing processes.

Gives a critical review of the existing literature on just‐in‐time manufacturing. Suggests a relevant literature classification scheme, followed by subsections on each class and offers critical comments. Also identifies the possible research portfolios after an explanation of the gap existing between theory and practice.

Western manufacturing firms have shown considerable interest in the just‐in‐time (JIT) philosophy in recent years. The most critical issue facing firms in the West is that of JIT implementation. The primary considerations for JIT implementation and the fundamental issues affecting JIT programmes are discussed in detail. It is concluded that in implementing a JIT programme, changes in the attitudes of both the management and the workforce are necessary together with a clear understanding of the implications resulting from the move to a JIT approach.

Assessing the performance of medical laboratories plays an important role in the quality of health services. However, because of imprecise data, reliable results from laboratory performance cannot be obtained easily. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of interval network data envelopment analysis (INDEA) based on sustainable development indicators under uncertainty.

In this study, each medical diagnostic laboratory is considered as a decision-making unit (DMU) and an INDEA model is used for calculating the efficiency of each medical diagnostic laboratory under imprecise inputs and outputs. The proposed model helps provide managers with effective performance scores for deficiencies and business improvements. The proposed model with realistic efficiency scores can help administrators manage their deficiencies and ultimately improve their business.

The results indicate that uncertainty can lead to changes in performance scores, rankings and performance classifications. Therefore, the use of DEA models under certainty can be potentially misleading.

The contribution of this study provides useful insights into the use of INDEA as a modeling tool to aid managerial decision-making in assessing efficiency of medical diagnostic laboratories based on sustainable development indicators under uncertainty.

This study used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to measure and evaluate the operational efficiency of 26 isolation hospitals in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as identifying the most important inputs affecting their efficiency.

To measure the operational efficiency of isolation hospitals, this paper combined three interrelated methodologies including DEA, sensitivity analysis and Tobit regression, as well as three inputs (number of physicians, number of nurses and number of beds) and three outputs (number of infections, number of recoveries and number of deaths). Available data were analyzed through R v.4.0.1 software to achieve the study purpose.

Based on DEA analysis, out of 26 isolation hospitals, only 4 were found efficient according to CCR model and 12 out of 26 hospitals achieved efficiency under the BCC model, Tobit regression results confirmed that the number of nurses and the number of beds are common factors impacted the operational efficiency of isolation hospitals, while the number of physicians had no significant effect on efficiency.

The limits of this study related to measuring the operational efficiency of isolation hospitals in Egypt considering the available data for the period from February to August 2020. DEA analysis can also be an important benchmarking tool for measuring the operational efficiency of isolation hospitals, for identifying their ability to utilize and allocate their resources in an optimal manner (Demand vs Capacity Dilemma), which in turn, encountering this pandemic and protect citizens' health.

Despite the intensity of studies that dealt with measuring hospital efficiency, this study to the best of our knowledge is one of the first attempts to measure the efficiency of hospitals in Egypt in times of health' crisis, especially, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to identify the best allocation of resources to achieve the highest level of efficiency during this pandemic.