Volgendebest

Volgendebest is a term used in Dutch-language discussions to describe a heuristic in decision-making that prioritizes the next-best option rather than the theoretically optimal long-term outcome. The word is a compound of volgend(e) meaning “next” and best, used informally to signal an iterative approach in which choices are revisited as new information emerges.

Origin and usage

Volgendebest is not widely codified in formal literature; rather it appears in management blogs, policy discussions, and commentary where speed and flexibility are valued over exhaustive optimization. It is often invoked to describe approaches that emphasize rapid decision cycles and short-term gains, with the understanding that revisions will occur later.

How it works

Practitioners applying volgendebest select the immediate option that seems best at the moment and then reassess subsequent steps as new data becomes available. This can accelerate decision-making, reduce upfront risk, and improve responsiveness. However, it also increases the risk of accumulating suboptimal choices, creating misaligned dependencies, or missing long-term costs.

Contexts and examples

In product development, volgendebest might mean releasing a minimum viable product quickly and iterating based on user feedback. In procurement, it can involve choosing a supplier with favorable short-term terms while planning renegotiation. In public policy, it may translate into piloting a program in a smaller area before scaling nationally.

Critique and relation to other concepts

Critics argue that volgendebest fosters short-term thinking and underestimates future costs. The concept is related to greedy algorithms and myopic optimization, and is often contrasted with long-horizon or systems-level planning.