This book is a blueprint for managing organizations with fewer long term, full time employees by drawing on growing and fluid talent pools as needed to respond to project needs and demand cycles. Gives managers a running start towards creating tomorrow's workplace.

Just-in-time production (JIT) is receiving widespread recognition among U.S. executives as the manufacturing system that helped make Japan our major competitor. With its proven capacity to streamline the manufacturing process, lower inventory, and improve product quality and ROI, JIT may be the basis for a renaissance in American manufacturing. This book details exactly what JIT is, how to implement it, and how to make it work in the context of American business and culture. In clear, practical terms, it discusses how to assess opportunities for change with JIT, how to develop and plan the necessary changes in production and management, and ways of motivating middle management and other employees in a JIT system. Relying on examples of companies that have implemented JIT--including cutting-edge firms such as Hewlett-Packard--The Just-in-Time Breakthrough clears up several misconceptions about the process while providing managers with models for putting it into action.

This study investigates the relation of total quality management (TQM) and just-in-time purchasing (JITP) with respect to firms' performance, based on theories from operations management, organization theory, strategic management and marketing. U.S. companies have implemented TQM and JITP techniques to improve their global competitive position. The lack of empirical research on how these techniques effect firms performance makes it necessary to explain their strategic values as management innovations. In this study, a cross-sectional mail survey was used with the target population of firms in the continental United States that have implemented either technique, or both. The results indicate that the extent of TQM and JITP implementation positively correlates with a firm's performance. Furthermore, the relation between JITP and financial and market performance is more significant in those industries that face high as opposed to low foreign competition. In this study, the validity of findings was assessed in four parts: statistical conclusion, internal, construct, and external validity. Each validity type is defined and its threats are discussed. Based on the findings, a revised research model is offered. The author also notes likely avenues of future research for theorists and practitioners.

Whether different types of costs are to be reduced, benefits to be maximized or scarce resources to be managed, scheduling theory provides intelligent methods for practitioners and scientists. The just-in-time (JIT) production philosophy has enriched the classical scheduling theory with models that consider characteristics such as inventory costs, set-up times, lot sizing, or maintenance. This edited volume considers the specifics of just-in-time systems. It provides knowledge and insights on recent advances in scheduling theory where just-in-time aspects are considered. Contributions on models, theory, algorithms, and applications, that bring the theory up-to-date on the state-of-the-art of JIT systems are presented. Professionals, researchers and graduate students will find this book useful.

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.

Paul Bambrick-Santoyo (Managing Director of Uncommon Schools) shows leaders how they can raise their schools to greatness by following a core set of principles. These seven principles, or "levers," allow for consistent, transformational, and replicable growth. With intentional focus on these areas, leaders will leverage much more learning from the same amount of time investment. Fundamentally, each of these seven levers answers the core questions of school leadership: What should an effective leader do, and how and when should they do it. Aimed at all levels of school leadership, the book is for any principal, superintendent, or educator who wants to be a transformational leader. The book includes 30 video clips of top-tier leaders in action. These videos bring great schools to you, and support a deeper understanding of both the components of success and how it looks as a whole. There are also many helpful rubrics, extensive professional development tools, calendars, and templates. Explores the core principles of effective leadership Author's charter school, North Star Academy in Newark, New Jersey, received the highest possible award given by the U.S. Department of Education; the National Blue Ribbon Print version includes an instructive DVD with 30 video clips to show how it looks in real life. E-book customers: please note that details on how to access the content from the DVD may be found in the e-book Table of Contents. Please see the section: "How to Access DVD Contents" Bambrick-Santoyo has trained more than 1,800 school leaders nationwide in his work at Uncommon Schools and is a recognized expert on transforming schools to achieve extraordinary results.

It's not that Cy Charney opposes MBA and other types of academic training. It's just that he feels academic training doesn't go far enough -- that it fails to prepare people for what life as a manager is really like. Now Charney has published the ninth book in his lifelong campaign to bridge this gap -- a gap that he believes is particularly challenging in today's instant, multi-tasking, change-intensive world of work. In Just-in-Time Management, he shares 950-plus pieces of practical advice under the headings of: Be Productive Increase Your Influence Inspire and Motivate Staff Manage Effectively Every Day Deal with Employee Challenges Lead Strategically Take Care of Yourself