Anthony Dear argues that just-in-time is essentially a philosophy rather than a rigid methodology and that the important thing is to grasp the fundamental ideas involved and then to see where, how and to what extent they can be applied in the context of any particular enterprise. The book is written in a refreshingly direct manner and the discussion focuses on the kind of practical issues which are likely to concern working managers. Illustrated with a wealth of examples drawn from the author's own experience, Working Towards Just-in-Time tackles its subject in a fashion which has direct and immediate relevance to managers of small and medium-sized companies and to middle management in larger firms. This book should be of interest to managers of small and medium-sized companies; middle management in larger firms.

Despite the widespread use of computer based inventory control systems, most companies are aware that they often cannot meet their customer demand, while still suspecting that their stock levels are higher than they should be. The main reason for this problem is that many of the managers responsible for inventory control have no clear idea of what level of service they should be expecting to achieve on the basis of any given level of inventory, or how they should go about improving their performance. This guide sets out to help managers think through their inventory control operations, set goals which are realistic for their particular business and understand the limitations of even the most sophisticated systems.