Does Just-In-Time delivery have any impact on tooling costs?
A. Yes. If just-in-time (JIT) delivery is to be the mode of operation, it should be considered in the initial stages of quoting. JIT may require rapid die change and other systems that will work more efficiently only on certain types of tooling. For example, building the die to quick-change specifications may require a different die size and configuration than the normal practice. Although the initial tooling price will change, the advantages gained from rapid die change may be the governing factor. It is essential that these factors be considered in the design phase of the project, since product design sets the die design and construction parameters. JIT can raise some questions about reliability of delivery. If the purpose of JIT is to reduce inventory, it is frequently desirable to anticipate emergencies and provide for backup tooling, a small amount of emergency inventory or some other way of addressing the catastrophic failure that can occur in any volume production process based
