
138 THE LEAN ANTHOLOGY
Missy: Hmmm. Interesting. But your car is going to get old someday
too, and the time you put into it now will pay off later. You
still have to pay for your own repairs when it’s leased, right?
Kate: Yes you do, and you’re right. But I have to consider what it’s
worth to me to reduce my uncertainty. Once this lease is
over, I’m probably going to trade it in and lease another new
car. It’s like any other capital expenditure: There’s a tipping
point where the maintenance required to keep a machine
running and the technological potential of that machine just
don’t add up. You can either make a calculated investment in
someth ...