Finding the just-in-time service location and path in a ubiquitous service network

Abstract

Just-in-time (JIT) is an important topic of lean manufacturing and services, focusing on the reduction of the waiting time, as well as the enhancement of timeliness. In this study, the JIT concept is applied to the application of mobile commerce, ambient intelligence, and ubiquitous computing, which has rarely been explored in the past. As a result, a ubiquitous JIT service network is constructed based on the application of a mobile phone. In this network, a user uploads a request using a mobile phone. The request is then met at the appropriate service location in the network. For the JIT service network, an important issue is how to determine the JIT service location and path. In response to this issue, this study proposes a mathematical programming model to identify the JIT path. Subsequently, a systematic procedure is established to determine the JIT service location. The applicability of the proposed methodology is illustrative with an example.