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The Buffer That Forgot Why It Existed | How temporary inventory quietly becomes part of the operating system
A supplier failed. A machine became unreliable.
Demand briefly changed.
Extra inventory was introduced as a temporary safeguard.
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The original problem eventually disappeared, but the buffer stayed. It gained a location, a replenishment rule and the unmistakable confidence of something nobody remembers approving.
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In this field note, we examine how temporary countermeasures become permanent operating costs and introduce a low-cost response:
Give every buffer an owner
Record the reason it exists
Set a…
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