Two Drivers, One Truck, Zero Progress

Picture this: You have one delivery truck and two drivers who both need it at the same time.

The obvious problem? Only one person can use the truck.

The hidden problem? Both drivers waste time checking if the other is using it, coordinating schedules, and dealing with the uncertainty of when it will be available.

This is resource contention—and it's quietly killing your business efficiency.

In software, we call this the "shared resource problem." Multiple processes need the same thing, creating not just competition for the resource itself, but overhead from managing that competition.

Your business has these bottlenecks everywhere:

» The one person who knows how to process refunds
» The shared login for your social media accounts
» The single meeting room everyone needs
» The approval process that runs through one busy executive

Here's what makes this insidious: The act of checking for availability becomes a bottleneck itself.

Think about how much time your team spends:
• Asking if someone is available
• Waiting for responses to "quick questions"
• Scheduling around one person's calendar
• Working around systems only one person can access

The engineering solution? Create a "dispatcher" system.

Instead of two drivers fighting over one truck, you have a dispatcher who:

• Takes all requests

• Prioritizes based on importance

• Manages the schedule

• Ensures optimal utilization

In business terms, this might mean:
• Designated points of contact between departments
• Scheduling systems instead of ad-hoc requests
• Clear escalation paths for urgent needs
• Shared access credentials managed systematically

But there's an even better solution: engineer the shared resource out of existence.

Can you:
• Train more people to handle that specialized task?
• Create multiple access points instead of one?
• Build systems that reduce the need for human intervention?
• Distribute the knowledge that's currently locked in one person's head?

The most elegant solution addresses the root cause, not just the symptoms.

I've seen businesses transform their operations by simply identifying their top 3 shared resource bottlenecks and systematically eliminating them.

What's your biggest shared resource bottleneck right now?

Is it a person, a process, a system, or something else entirely?

Let me know—I'm curious what patterns emerge across different businesses.