In other words, they plan to fail. In a recent USA Today article, David Field reports that overscheduling in busy airports is common practice. So it's no surprise that many planes don't reach their gates on time. These late flights not only annoy passengers, but they also contribute to a staggering cost for the airlines. If the value of the passengers' time was ever considered, the figure would easily be in the billions of dollars.
Companies frequently sell more than they can produce.
One company recently celebrated the largest sales contract in its history only to discover it had absolutely no capacity to produce this product to the agreed specifications. All of the qualified suppliers for the critical materials needed were already running at full speed. To qualify new suppliers, even if they could be found, would take months. And the contract was with the company's biggest customer, a customer known for its strict enforcement of all specifications and delivery times. Other planned failures are the result of poor scheduling.