Getting Ahead by Being Inefficient
I remember in the late 90s when the place I worked at was all about JIT.  Not compiling, but physical stock - having the items they needed just as they were needed.  This was the Physical Plant for a large university campus, so considerable money was involved in storing and shipping goods.<p>The execs were delighted with the idea of saving money.<p>The grizzled workers just raised an eyebrow, made a few passive-aggressive comments about how, in their day, having the last box of something used because it was needed with no backup was considered a disaster waiting to happen, then shrugged and did as they were asked.<p>I left before I saw how it played out, but I suspect that there was some good trimming of backlogs and storage of materials that really could afford to wait, but far too many cases where JIT wasn't IT enough.  It's like...creating a breeding ground for Black Swans.<p>The article made me think of that - high efficiency all the time means little-to-no-buffer for unusual needs.