MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING2 Capacity production refers to the level of output that a particular institution can sustain to make a product or offer a service. Capacity planning relies on management to mitigate risks associated to the production process. This is because there is no system that has the capability to operate in full capacity over a sustained period. In this context, production capacity refers to the maximum volume that a firm can produce at a given time. The production capacity of a firm is often increased as a result of an increase in demand(Hull, 2011). In most cases, manufacturing firms often do not use their equipment to full capacity. In this regard, companies are known to preserve a capacity for purposes of handling increase whenever a company experiences losses in production. Capacity cushion varies from one company to another. In other cases, companies are forced to rely on outsourcing as means to increase capacity production. A more practical example of capacity production is explained through relevant range(Chen & Tsai, 2017). For instance, suppose a firm makes clothes, the equipment used in this manufacturing firm operates effectively between 2000hours and 3000hours within a given timeframe. If the machines are made to operate more than these hours, there is likelihood of breakdown hence the need to manage production at a relevant range. Therefore, relevant range is the optimum level that a machine can operate without experiencing challenges. There are numerous challenges that may impact production capacity in manufacturing firms. Manufacturing can be a dangerous industry and manufacturers should be aware of their health and safety needs. This requires training of the personnel that handles equipment. Moreover, manufacturing firms often experience shortage of skilled labor in handling sophisticated machines. Also, the lack of adoption to latest technology limits production capacity
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING3 as a result of inefficiencies(Sraiet al, 2016). Among other challenges include change with respect to robotics and automation as well as determining the right inventory.
MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING4 References Chen, T., & Tsai, H. R. (2017). Ubiquitous manufacturing: Current practices, challenges, and opportunities.Robotics and computer-integrated manufacturing,45, 126-132. Hull, B. (2011).Manufacturing best practices: Optimizing productivity and product quality. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Srai, J. S., Kumar, M., Graham, G., Phillips, W., Tooze, J., Ford, S., ... & Ravi, B. (2016). Distributed manufacturing: scope, challenges and opportunities.International Journal of Production Research,54(23), 6917-6935.