I could go on for pages and pages with more of these "myths" There seems to be an inexhaustible supply of "why it's got to be done this way" myths at every factory.
The people who still subscribe to these myths have little idea how outdated they became when the "whatever you make will sell" era came to a close. They may hear consumers complain but they don't really listen to the complaints and think about them.
It is amazing how many factories are still like that.
When visiting such factories to discuss the JIT production system, I have sometimes gotten the impression that introducing JIT improvement programs at factories so firmly rooted in shish-kabob production is like praying to a horse or giving a penny to a cat.
As I said earlier, we have to begin with the awareness revolution. It is a good idea to somehow make the need for a change in consciousness a topic on everyone's mind at both the start and end of the workday routine. It is also a good idea to make the adoption of the JIT production system a theme for QC circles and other small group activities Another effective device is to invite outside experts to give employee seminars.
If the 5s's are the foundation for improving the factory, then we could say that the awareness revolution is the premise for JIT production. If we can change people's minds, we can do anything.
JIT production system concepts should be used to overhaul conventional thinking and cannot simply be used to supplement the old philosophy Hard as this is, JIT awareness revolution means discarding work methods that are the result of years of study and experience, and long accumulated know-how. It even goes beyond that and requires everyone to consider the present way of doing things as the worst possible way.
The kind of "improvements" called for by the JIT produc- tion system are not the easy kind of minor improvements that