A Conceptual JIT Model of Service Quality

Just- in- Time (JIT) concepts have been successfully implemented in manufacturing organizations. There is reasonable consensus among researchers that JIT is a useful and beneficial approach to reduce themanufacturing costs while simultaneously improving the quality of a product. However, all reported instances of successful and nsuccessful JIT practices lie with in manufacturing settings. However, these JIT concepts and tools, originally developed in the manufacturing domain, can be identified, analyzed and altered to fit and benefit service organizations. This paper proposes a framework to improve the quality of services based on JIT concepts and practices that proved beneficial in manufacturing organizations. A theoretical model of service quality is proposed based on the literature reviews in the areas of service quality and JIT, field study, and the identified factors through initial analysis. A research methodology to empirically test the model using actual data from service rganizations to statistically test the influence of JIT on service firms is outlined. Finally an architectural framework to support theimplementation of JIT in service organizations is provided.