And this would have logistical parallels with the just-in-time inventory strategy. which imho has been a maligned in that it does trade off other risks, but it also makes for better supply chain responsiveness (if the buffers are selected correctly on the right items).
Selecting appropriate buffer sizes is critical - a good set of comparisons there is what buffer would one want for streaming a movie vs a buffer for streaming a live video meeting connection.
JIT has been maligned by those who don't realise that in the original Toyota conception one's suppliers should be right there with you on site. Supply chains stretching across the oceans just aren't a thing in properly done JIT.
Well... part of the purpose of just in time is to surface problems quickly. Transient problems in an upstream process can be papered over by inventory on the receiving end, but when you remove that inventory everyone gets a clearer view of where the problem is, and everyone can do a better job of fixing it.
So just in time over the oceans works precisely as intended: it gives us information immediately when there is a problem. Whether or not it's within any manufacturers power to fix those problems is a separate issue.
(And I'm going to guess that there's no easy way to fix those problems, given that Toyota has opted for more inventory to hide those sorts of transient issues when it comes to certain parts.)
Selecting appropriate buffer sizes is critical - a good set of comparisons there is what buffer would one want for streaming a movie vs a buffer for streaming a live video meeting connection.