Ever Present Compensation Coefficient

The Ever Present Compensation Coefficient or (EPCC) is a corrective action of varied value which must be applied to certain human endeavors, particularly ones which are undertaken with limited or inadequate resources to successfully complete those given tasks.

Under certain conditions (i.e. specific work environments), this compensation coefficient is ever present and it must be carefully factored in while formulating strategies to complete tasks which often seem simple and elementary to the casual observer. The EPCC, by definition, manifests itself in a random and dynamic fashion. It is nurtured in an environment absent of planning and preparation and requires the implementation of unorthodox procedures and utilization of inferior materials and equipment to minimize its detrimental effects. Superhuman ingenuity and creative thinking are required to calculate the precise compensation coefficient required to overcome the obstacles encountered during the course of any given endeavor.

The minimum criteria to qualify for true EPCC status are as follows:
* The corrective action taken mandates that the value of physical materials consumed and the quantity of human time wasted to perform said compensation is exceeded by a considerable margin the costs associated with performing the procedure correctly.
* The required degree of compensation must always be inversely correlated to the amount of time allotted to complete the task.
* A properly executed EPCC scenario must cause frustration, shame and embarrassment to the compensator while being observed by an onlooker who can not possibly comprehend how such a simple task can be so difficult to accomplish.
* EPCC must always be a direct result of poor planning and application of inferior materials and techniques, never routine bad luck or misfortune.

ee also

* Rube Goldberg