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> I buy like 4 or 5 packages at a time, just to make sure we don't run out.

It sounds like that's how they normally solve this too.

But this pandemic has messed with a lot of our supply chains. Things we counted on being there on the next visit or order just aren't there. Automatic Amazon orders that we've been auto piloting for years and years aren't so automatic anymore.

So any hack around not having something is still something I think most of us should keep in a back pocket ;) Even for the most prepared of us.

2 comments

Don't let amazon drive your supply chain. Figure out what you need to operate for 120 days. Buy whenever you're below 90 days.

Then make zero mistakes in your planning, and have no accidents or unseen needs. Sounds easy for a family.

As nitrogen pointed out, that's what the buffer is for.

You're right, you can't individually run a just-in-time supply system for your family. (Well, you could, but it meant a lot of grocery runs every week ;)

What I'm saying is that you do not want just-in-time. Neither by yourself, nor by people who are really good at it. Systems are resilient by having built-in slack. Remove the slack, you've optimized the well-lit path. And become much more susceptible to failures.

Ask people in the Northeast who just had a week of power loss how redundancy helped them. The ones who have a backup power source will nod vigorously. Ask midwesterners how they prepare for winter (especially in rural areas). Having that buffer is helpful.

It doesn't need to be 90 days, that's my personal threshold.

And yes, it's easy. "Hey, I need X" -> "Go get it from storage, and put it on the list". It'll take a while to flush out unseen needs, but the same is true for a standing Amazon order. I'm not saying drop ordering/shopping on demand right now - just order a decent supply next time you order, instead of one pack.

And sure, you can keep Amazon as your supplier, but we've just proven out that they're a single point of failure. (Remember ordering in April/May and getting delivery dates for August?). Having local alternatives is valuable. Support them even if they aren't immediately necessary.

The 90 days is a buffer to handle mistakes, accidents, and unseen needs.

Huh, for the first couple of weeks here in the UK some things were harder to find, but since then I've noticed no items not in stock at all - Where are you based?