Another approach to increasing capacity is by multi-skilling of the work force.

Often, capacity constraints manifest on account of non-availability of skills even when adequate capacity is available in machines and other resources. For instance, in a machine shop, there will be enough drilling machines, grinding machines, gear cutting machines and CNC machines to process all the requirements. However, if the workforce is not multi-skilled, then production may suffer on account of a specific set of skills not being available at some time. There may be just a few workers who can operate the gear cutting machine and the CNC machine. Therefore, these workers will dictate the capacity of the system. On the other hand, if all the worIcers have skills to operate all the maddnes, then it is much easier to absorb fluctuations in both demand and workforce availability. Multi-skilling not only solves the problem of providing each operating unit or a sub-division with the required skills but also increases the flexibility of operating such units. Employee absenteeism does not affect the working seriously. At the shop floor level, multi-sldlling in a machine shop would mean picking up the skills required for operating all the machines and in the assembly shop it would mean working at all stages of assembly. In the fabrication shop it would call for proficiency in fitting, welding, shearing etc. On the other hand, at the supervisory level and shop floor managerial level, it would mean discharging various manufacturing support functions such as production planning and control, inventory and stores management and procurement.