The Hydra effect in the production process

In Greek mythology, the Hydra was a terrifying creature with multiple heads. The most disturbing feature of the beast was not simply its strength, but its ability to regenerate itself. When one head was cut off, two more grew in its place. The metaphor has become increasingly relevant to modern production processes. In manufacturing, supply chains and organisational operations, managers often discover that solving one operational problem can unexpectedly generate several new ones. This phenomenon may be described as the Hydra Effect which is an intervention intended to eliminate a bottleneck, or inefficiency produces unintended consequences…