My first project at GE was working with an engineer who was trying to classify the degradation rate on a bunch of used engine parts to free up warehouse space--saving the company $20MM.

She told me none of it matters (after working on it for years) when management had just written off $16B for Baker Hughes (a lemon of a company they purchased that had to be sold off for pennies). It was a prelude to a string of even more meaningless work.