How does capacity planning influence workload balancing in a fulfillment center?

• A. It ensures labor, equipment, and space align with demand, reducing bottlenecks and idle time
• B. It increases the number of temporary workers regardless of demand
• C. It focuses solely on outbound packaging speed
• D. It ignores space constraints

Answer: (A)

Capacity planning in a fulfillment center is about forecasting demand and sizing labor, equipment, and space to meet that demand. When these resources are matched to the expected workload, bottlenecks are minimized and idle time is reduced, because you’re not overloading one area while another sits idle. This alignment helps balance the work across stations and shifts, keeping throughput steady. For example, during peak periods you adjust staffing, bring in more equipment, and reconfigure space to keep picking, packing, and shipping flowing; in slower times you scale back and reallocate resources as needed.

The other options miss essential aspects: adding temporary workers without regard to actual demand can create inefficiencies; focusing only on outbound packaging speed ignores other steps and the overall capacity of the center; and ignoring space constraints leaves a critical limiting factor unaddressed.