Do not confuse restart output with accepted capacity

Topic
Phased moves and business continuity
Reading time
3 minutes
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  1. A fictional first week
  2. Find where the difference arises
  3. Revisit the promises made before the move

Judge restart capacity using work that has passed the applicable acceptance process. A machine running for a full shift or a production counter reaching its target does not establish how much customer work the new operation can fulfil.

Keep the measurement specific to the product, process and period. A successful run provides evidence for that item and operating conditions. It does not prove the whole product range is ready.

A fictional first week

Suppose a business records the following for one comparable product family. These are invented figures for the calculation, not expected performance after a move.

First-week status at the review point Units
Produced in total 100
Accepted through the required process 72
Awaiting the required inspection decision 18
Held for a rework decision 10

The categories account for all 100 units: 72 + 18 + 10. Only 72 have accepted status at this review point. The eighteen awaiting inspection are not assumed defective, and the ten held for a decision are not assumed recoverable.

If sixty accepted units are already committed to orders, the arithmetic leaves twelve accepted units not allocated to those orders. Before promising them elsewhere, check the actual product identity, other commitments and fulfilment requirements. This is not automatically twelve units of available stock.

The business also needs to understand when further accepted work can be produced. One week's totals alone cannot establish a reliable future rate.

Find where the difference arises

Ask the production and quality owners to explain the pending categories. Is inspection waiting for a resource? Is rework still being assessed? Did the product mix differ from the trial? Keep technical decisions with the responsible specialists.

Record when the figures were taken. If inspection finishes later that afternoon, update the accepted quantity without rewriting the earlier snapshot. Otherwise the review cannot distinguish improving throughput from a changed measurement time.

Use the dispatch-control record to connect acceptance to actual shipment. Accepted goods may still need another agreed fulfilment step before leaving.

Revisit the promises made before the move

Compare the evidence with the current order book. If the operation cannot yet support the intended work, use the customer-commitment review to decide which promises need attention. Avoid treating an optimistic recovery estimate as confirmed capacity.

Likewise, review any temporary stock buffer against actual use and accepted replenishment. A stock plan based on three days of interruption may need reassessment if the business takes longer to establish the new route.

Agree a review frequency suited to the uncertainty and actual operation. Retain the same definitions so successive figures can be compared, and identify changes in product mix or staffing that affect interpretation.

Once the business understands its continuing capacity requirements, it can discuss confirmed surplus equipment with UK Auction Group. Explain any equipment still supporting recovery rather than assuming a first successful run makes it unnecessary.

Return to the phased-move guides.

Sources

This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.

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