Besides smaller lot orders, the JIT philosophy mandates a reduction in the
number of suppliers. The impact of this reduction is that the quality of the
relationship between buyers and suppliers improves as these material
“partners” work closely together. Moreover, better communications occur
because important changes in order specifics only need to be communicated to
a few suppliers. Yet another benefit of reducing the number of suppliers is the
reduction in paper work. An organization will reap many benefits in terms of
costs and time savings by reducing the number of suppliers and improving
relationships with these valued partners in the JIT manufacturing process