The job was delivered on time. It came back twice.

Rework rarely shows up as a cost. It shows up as a hiring request, a lengthening lead time, and a margin nobody can explain.

By Steve 5 min read
Abstract bridge artwork for The job was delivered on time. It came back twice.

Two businesses report the same revenue, the same headcount and the same gross margin. One of them is quietly operating at three quarters of its capacity, because a meaningful share of everything it produces is being produced for the second time. Nothing in either set of accounts distinguishes them. This is the central awkwardness of rework: it is one of the largest costs in most delivery businesses and one of the very few that has no line item, no cost code and no owner. Why the P&L stays silent Rework…

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