Abstract
The extension of just-in-time (JIT) to the sourcing arena has become important in the past few years as the value of purchased inputs as a percentage of costs of goods sold has increased steadily in many production settings. Sourcing's impact on competitiveness is not limited to cost control but also influences the performance of the conversion system along other competitive dimensions - quality, dependability, flexibility, and innovation. The result is that future manufacturing strategies will place significant emphasis on the control of purchased inventory, increasing the value of a JIT procurement system to the firm. The current state of JIT purchasing is explored using the results of a survey of purchasing managers to determine the current state of adoption of typical JIT purchasing practices and their impact on firm performance.