ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the management of capacity, which is the ability of an organization to process the amount of work demanded of it. In considering this area of operations management several topics are covered:
1 Planning and control. The basic task of capacity management is to provide the right number of staff, with the right facilities and technology in the right place at the right time. This task cannot be achieved without there first being a pla showing how these resources are to be allocated. Once framed, the implementation of the plan needs to be monitored. Feedback is required from the operation to show if the plan is being achieved. The planning process is thus a dynamic one and plans seldom stay unchanged as the operation attempts to adjust to the demands placed upon it.
