ADOPTING JUST-IN-TIME (JIT) IN UZBEKISTAN’S FURNITURE SECTOR: OPPORTUNITIES AND BARRIERS

Abstract

The Uzbek furniture sector has grown from cottage workshops serving local bazaars into a US $800 million industry that now exports to Central Asia and Russia. Mid sized manufacturers such as Bomond Biznes Ltd (Tashkent), Viva Deluxe LLC (Tashkent), Afrosiab Mebel Ltd (Samarkand), Art Mebel Group LLC (Tashkent) and Afzal Mebel Ltd (Zangiata District) illustrate the sector’s diversity—from mass produced case goods to premium custom interiors. Yet rapid growth has exposed deep inefficiencies: production delays, excess work in process (WIP), high warehouse rents and costly obsolescence of style sensitive stock.

Just in Time (JIT) manufacturing—pioneered at Toyota and later adopted across global furniture plants—offers a pathway to leaner, more responsive operations. JIT aims to “make only what is needed, when it is needed, and in the exact quantity needed,” synchronising material flows with real demand.

Uzbek producers confront specific barriers: irregular deliveries of imported MDF, volatile domestic timber prices and a fragmented supplier base that still relies on phone orders and cash pre payments. This study asks: Can JIT principles—adapted to local constraints—reduce inventory and lead time while safeguarding product quality and growth? To answer, we review global and regional literature, collect mixed method field data from five factories, and distil actionable recommendations for managers and policymakers.