Yo-Yo Check

The process swings from too much to too little, and each correction feels justified. Check whether large responses are acting on old information while earlier corrections are still arriving.

Find the swing. Find the lag. Size the correction.

Look for excessive correction paired with delayed feedback. Trace the action, its pending effect, and the later reversal before calling the pattern a yo-yo. Compare seasonality, changing external demands, and noise. A smaller response or better-timed signal is a candidate only when it addresses the supported mechanism.

Try this when…

We overfill, then run out, then overfill again.

Every correction seems to cause the opposite problem.

I am responding to last week’s problem again.

Are we correcting real change or just normal variation?

What you can use it for

Stock replenishment

Separate current shortages from supplies already ordered.

Scheduling

Inspect large changes made before demand responses become visible.

Creative revision

Check whether delayed comments trigger excessive reversals between competing qualities.