Capacity planning is critically important in operations andsupply chain management. Here are some capacity managementprinciples I have learned over the years working in variousOperations Management roles. Can you think of a way that one ormore of these principles could be applied in your work environmentto improve throughput? a. Constantly hone the demand forecast andtake action to meet demand spikes before they happen; b. Monitorutilization and take action if it is trending upward and there isno reason believe this trend will not continue; c. Use FIFO(First-In-First-Out) wherever possible; d. Order materials on asclose to a real-time basis as possible, being cautious aboutquantity discounts; e. Try not to change factors around in theorganization constantly, as this becomes confusing and learning howfactors relate to outcomes becomes difficult; f. Move towardone-piece flow, though one-piece flow may not make sense in allcases; move away from large batches; g. Look for bottlenecks andtake action to eliminate them; h. Look for ways of streamlining theoperation before investing in capital; i. Invest in capital ifnecessary but sell capital only when the operation is actuallyclosed unless an entire product line or other large-scale changehas occurred;
Did you encounter another principle of capacity planning andmanagement that you find particularly intriguing or applicable toyour work environment?