The critical role of capacity
It is often asserted that the main difference between a product and a service is that products can be made ahead of production and consumption and held as inventory whereas generally a service is created at the moment of consumption. However the equivalent to inventory in a service context is capacity.
Capacity represents the available resources that can be utilised to meet a certain level of demand. In a restaurant it could include the number of tables and chairs, the level of staffing and the opening times. In a hospital, capacity would be determined by the number of beds, the availability of medical staff, the hours during which operating theatres and diagnostic equipment (i.e. scanners) are in use, and so on. ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access