[remcob]

Adding to this great list: batch processing inputs can allow you to get more throughput at expense of latency.

[ndriscoll]

If you make your batches small, you can get pretty much all of the benefit without adding (appreciable) latency. e.g. batch incoming web requests in 2-5 ms windows. Depending on what work is involved in a request, you might 10x your throughput and actually reduce latency if you were close to the limit of what your database could handle without batching.

[joshspankit]

This and other approaches can be found in other industries like warehousing, logging, and retail