JIT means delivery to the hour. Production planning is still done to the day.
JIT delivery to an automotive OEM is not a daily schedule — it is an hourly commitment. A Tier 1 supplier delivering to Maruti Suzuki's assembly line knows that parts for the 2:00 PM assembly shift must arrive between 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM. Not at 3:00 PM. Not tomorrow. The OEM's assembly line does not carry buffer stock — it expects the supplier's parts to arrive exactly when they are needed.
Meeting a JIT delivery window requires working backwards from the delivery time to calculate when production must start, when quality clearance must complete, when the truck must be loaded, and when it must depart. This calculation changes every time the OEM revises the schedule — which happens multiple times a week. A production planning system that operates at day-level granularity cannot support an operation that needs hour-level precision.
A JIT production plan is a backwards calculation from a fixed delivery window — delivery time minus transit time minus loading time minus quality clearance time minus production cycle time equals latest production start. HublerX maintains this calculation for every open JIT work order in real time — updating the latest start time whenever the OEM revises the delivery window, and flagging schedule slippage the moment production falls behind the calculated timeline. The production supervisor, logistics coordinator, and quality team all see the same live picture.
Live workflow view
The step-by-step sequence
- 1
OEM JIT delivery windows ingested
HublerX reads the OEM's JIT delivery schedule — delivery time, part number, quantity, and dock location — from the EDI feed, supplier portal, or schedule file. Every delivery window is loaded as a fixed constraint that the production plan must work backwards from.
On schedule receipt · real time - 2
Latest production start time calculated per WO
For each JIT delivery, HublerX calculates the latest possible production start time by working backwards — delivery window minus transit time minus truck loading time minus quality clearance duration minus production cycle time. The result is a hard deadline for production start.
On schedule ingestion - 3
Production schedule aligned to JIT windows
HublerX sequences the production schedule to ensure every JIT work order starts no later than its calculated latest start time — while respecting line capacity, changeover times, and material availability. Conflicts between JIT deadlines and available capacity are surfaced for the planner to resolve.
On schedule generation - 4
Schedule slippage detected and escalated
When a production run falls behind the JIT timeline — a changeover overrun, a quality stoppage, a material shortage — HublerX calculates the impact on the delivery window immediately and alerts the production supervisor and logistics coordinator with the time remaining to recover.
On any production delay - 5
Recovery options surfaced
Where slippage threatens a JIT delivery window, HublerX surfaces the recovery options — run overtime, expedite quality clearance, hold the truck for a later load, or notify the OEM of a delay. The planner acts on a recommendation before the window closes.
On slippage detection - 6
Production to truck handoff coordinated
When production completes, HublerX triggers quality clearance, generates the picking and loading instruction, and confirms the truck departure time against the delivery window. The OEM receives an advance shipping notice via EDI the moment the truck departs.
On WO completion
Results are directional. JIT performance depends on production cycle time accuracy, changeover reliability, and transit time consistency.
See how JIT production planning works in your plant
30 minutes. Your OEM schedule. Your production lines.