I think the big question is whether you ever <i>win</i> the previous war.<p>If every problem adds permanent overhead (&quot;add a check for that issue in the review process&quot;) then you&#x27;re slowly losing ground.  If problems get solved (&quot;automate that step so no one forgets it&quot;), you&#x27;re making progress even if you don&#x27;t anticipate issues.