Track capacity as well as demand

The idea

Growth changes the workload placed on a system. When demand rises faster than capacity can adjust, the resulting delays and quality problems can alter future demand. A strategy should therefore connect expansion plans to the resources and timing required to serve people well.

Worked example

A fictional repair service launches a successful referral campaign. Orders double, but technician training takes two months. Waiting times rise, customers complain, and referrals weaken. Managers first interpret the slowdown as a marketing failure. Mapping orders, staffing, training, service delays, and reputation reveals a different possibility: the campaign worked faster than operations could absorb. The team tests a staged campaign alongside a realistic staffing plan.

Use it carefully

Capacity is not merely headcount. Equipment, supervision, scheduling, quality checks, and specialized skills can constrain output. A model should specify the actual limiting mechanism rather than assume every worker is interchangeable. The story is a hypothesis, not proof that growth caused the complaints. Compare records, interview staff and customers, and consider external changes before deciding which intervention to use.

RETRIEVE. REASON. REMEMBER.

Knowledge check.

Choose one answer for each question, then check your reasoning.