The Just in Sequence approach is an evolution of JIT, which embeds the CONWIP idea of mixing push/requirement and pull/replenishment production management systems. The overall goal of JIS is to synchronize the material flow within the supply chain and to reduce both safety stocks and material handling. Once the optimal production sequence is decided, it is adopted all along the process line and up to the supply chain. Thus, the suppliers are asked to comply not only to quantity requirements but also to the product sequence and mix, for a certain period of time. In this case the demand must be stable, or a frozen period should be defined (i.e. a time interval, prior to production, in which the demand cannot be changed)1. Clearly, when the demand mix significantly changes, the sequence must be re-computed, similarly to what happens in MRP. This makes the JIS system less flexible compared to JIT. Research results2 proved that, applying some techniques to reduce unsteadiness – such as flexible order assignment or mixed bank buffers – the sequence can be preserved with a low stock level. Thanks to ad-hoc rescheduling points the sequence can be propagated downstream, reducing the impact of variability.
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