In the nineteen nineties Walmart perfected just in time delivery.  It  was a wholesale change to logistics management paradigm  for retail  at the time which was based on warehousing products in central locations rather than delivering them from the manufacturer to the store directly just when needed.

The savings in wharehouse costs was a big driver of the success of this approach.  I also attribute it to that inate aspect of human nature which drives us to wait to the last minute

RRSP Season

Seeing the plethoria of advertisements for RRSP contributions around this time of the year got me thinking about what for me is a very strange, albeit common trait of waiting to the last minute.

To be honest I made my contribution for last year inMarch right after submiting my tax return – no waiting for the April deadline for me.

I guess what surprises me is given all the benefits of doing a task well in advance, so many people still wait to the last minute.  I am thinking of benefits like no line-ups, no risk of late penalties, no risk of sell- outs and so on.

Still in the case of Walmart, just in time delivery actually is a cost saver.  Although it does result in some limitations, like restricting suppliers to the ones that can provide just in time deliver.  It does allow for lower prices and higher sales volume.  And of course for many, last minute frenzy is just a natural way to do things.

I know I do think differently than the masses on occassion and waiting to the last minutes is definately one of those times.