The transition from centralized inventory management to 'just-in-time' (JIT) manufacturing was driven by the desire to minimize storage costs and improve capital liquidity. However, the systemic fragility exposed by recent global supply chain disruptions has prompted a reevaluation of this lean philosophy. Traditional JIT models rely on the assumption of friction-less logistics and predictable lead times, conditions that are increasingly rare in a volatile geopolitical climate. Some analysts propose a 'just-in-case' (JIC) alternative, which advocates for redundant stockpiling of critical components. While JIC strategies offer a buffer against unforeseen shocks, they introduce significant carrying costs that can erode a firm's competitive pricing edge. The emerging consensus among operations strategists suggests a hybrid 'resilient-lean' model. This approach utilizes predictive analytics to identify high-risk nodes in the supply chain where stockpiling is essential, while maintaining lean protocols for lower-risk, highly substitutable inputs, thereby balancing the cost-efficiencies of JIT with the security of JIC.