Which statement best defines just-in-time (JIT) in supply chain management?

• A. Produce goods as early as possible to stockpile inventory.
• B. Produce once per year regardless of demand.
• C. Stockpile safety stock to cover fluctuations.
• D. Producing or delivering goods to meet demand exactly when needed, reducing inventory.

Answer: (D)

Just-in-time aims to have materials arrive or be produced exactly when needed to meet customer demand, with minimal inventory on hand. This reduces carrying costs and waste by aligning production with actual demand and shortening lead times. The statement about producing or delivering goods to meet demand exactly when needed, reducing inventory, best captures this approach because it describes the pull-based flow at the heart of JIT.

Options that involve stockpiling, producing far in advance, or keeping safety stock run counter to JIT, since they increase inventory and buffer capacity rather than minimize it.