I think we may have taken efficiency a little too far. For years we have been told to run lean, cut waste, keep inventory tight and squeeze every bit of unused capacity out of a business. On paper, that looks great. In the real world, one person calls in sick, one truck shows up late, one machine goes down and suddenly the whole “efficient” system is sitting still. I have seen the same thing in hydraulics. You can design a system to run right at the edge of what it can handle, but that does not necessarily mean you designed a good system.
Sometimes a little extra capacity is not waste. Sometimes having another option, another person who knows the job, a few extra parts on the shelf or some breathing room in the schedule is exactly what keeps the wheels turning when something goes sideways. I am starting to think the best businesses are not the ones that have eliminated every ounce of slack. They are the ones that can take a punch and keep moving. That might not look as impressive on a spreadsheet, but it sure looks good when something breaks. Texas Fluid Power – Hydraulic Repair Services