It doesn’t really matter which part of your business you work in — there will be a system for addressing the key things that need to be done. In production planning, there will be a way that needs and capacity are identified, prioritized and scheduled. In spare parts management, there will be a way that decisions are made on what to stock and how many to stock. We all know this to be true because these tasks are completed on an almost daily basis.
What is less certain is whether the system in use is the most effective and efficient way to get the job done. This is because the systems that are in place today are either deliberately designed or they have evolved randomly. Of course not all “designed systems” are perfect or even fully effective, but there is a reasonably good chance that a designed system will outperform a random system every day of the week.