Lean enterprise and just in time delivery principles can be good things but don't take pot holes very well.

I've seen factory documentaries that show sub assemblies like motors, dashes, seats loaded in to trucks in final build order. Nice bit of interconnected supply chains production and logistics. The parts rack in the trailer that connects to the factory conveyer is a cool touch - they unload them selves. Except [censored] happens when this engine plant throttles back this week and that dash plant throttles back another week, trucks get parked, etc, etc. Should have some buffer inventory built in some where for the occasional outage but the whole idea is to not have inventory, just have it flow straight from dock to assembly. Final assembly right on to rail cars would be a good ad.

As for going on for months, that's another thing. Is it just FCA?