Capacity Planning Coursework (Coursework Sample)

Discussion
Author
Institution
Week 7 discussion
Capacity planning
Capacity is the upper limit in of load that an operating unit of a firm can handle. It includes employee skill, equipments, and space. Capacity planning therefore seeks to find the optimum level of resources for production. Capacity planning in many organizations touches on competitiveness, lead time responsiveness and costs. It also helps organization know when and by how much to increase capacity. It is important that all organizations plan their capacities as this has an effect on future ability to meet demands. The operation cost in the long run is also affected by capacity planning. Design capacity being a capacity measure refers to the maximum rate of output a process, facility or an operation is designed for under the best conditions in a given period. Some of the challenges that face capacity design include changes in product specification. Product specification change implies that the inputs required in the manufacture of a product changes. Work effort is another key challenge to capacity design. This entails the the speed of work in a firm in a given condition. This affects capacity design in the sense that the pace at which products are produced affects the capacity either by stretching it or under using it.
Effective capacity refers to the capacity an organization expects to attain using its methods of scheduling, maintenance, product mix and standards of quality amid the current operating constraints. Effective capacity is usually low since a facility may have been tailored for an earlier version of a product. Change in product mix affects effective capacity. When firms decide to adopt or modify existing product mixes, this affects the total work content. This means that the normal time of product completion changes hence altering with how employees work availability of raw materials and storage facilities maximization. Another key challenge to capacity design is plant and equipments in the organization. This change the methods used in production thereby interfering with the total output of the production.
Week 8 discussion
Work System Design
One of the key roles of the human resource department in any organization is planning and executing compensation plans. This allows the organization reward good work and promotes professional growth. A compensation system should be sustainable and fair with an organizations framework encouraging efficiency in work environment. Base pay is a compensation that is commonly used by many organizations. This refers to paying an employee the basic salary or wages only. This system is rigid to changing times and faces a lot of criticism especially from worker unions. Workers unions argue that employees salaries should change according to economic times this being opposed strongly by employers. It is quite evident that a compensation system has a direct influence on productivity. Therefore employers should a system that encourages productivity and professional growth. Incorporating commissions, travel/housing allowances and overtime pay will improve the basic pay compensation system.
Week 9 discussion
Inventory Management
Inventory management is a key area in a company’s operation. Having a proper inventory management system helps to keep track of materials meeting the demands of both production and internal consumption. One of the main purposes of inventory management is ensuring customer demands are met. An effective system makes goods and services available to customers as soon as the de...