(A practical, experience-based critique)

In many companies, RCCP (Rough-Cut Capacity Planning) is treated as a sophisticated tool for controlling production realities and “keeping Sales in check.”
But after years of observing planning processes across different industries, I can confidently say:

👉 RCCP is rarely the real issue.
The real issue is how organisations misuse it.

Below is a practical, no-nonsense critique based on what actually happens inside supply chains — not what textbooks say.

1. RCCP is often weaponised against Sales

Instead of serving as a collaborative alignment mechanism, RCCP frequently turns into a “control tool” used by Supply Planning to block Sales:

“You can’t sell this — we don’t have capacity.”

The message becomes defensive, territorial, and silo-driven.

But capacity isn’t owned by Supply Chain.
Capacity is an enterprise resource — shared by everyone, aligned through S&OP.

If RCCP becomes a “police checkpoint” rather than a planning enabler, dysfunction is guaranteed.

2. RCCP is used too late — long after the damage is done

In many organisations, RCCP is executed when:

• Sales already promised dates to customers,

• MPS is locked,

• the shop floor is overloaded,

• and firefighting mode is already active.

At this point, RCCP isn’t planning.
It’s post-mortem analysis.

RCCP was designed to be a preventive tool — not a reactive one.

3. RCCP exposes upstream failures that no one wants to admit

When a company doesn’t invest enough effort in:

• understanding demand,

• scenario planning,

• forecasting accuracy,

• portfolio strategy,

• seasonal visibility,

• long-term capacity modelling,

• structured S&OP processes,

then RCCP simply becomes the symptom, not the cure.

Most capacity issues are created 6–12 months earlier — not at the RCCP stage.

4. RCCP hides lack of cross-functional planning maturity

If Sales, Marketing, Operations, and Finance operate in silos, RCCP turns into:

❌ A negotiation tool
❌ A defensive shield
❌ A justification for missing customer commitments
❌ A last-minute “fix” for poorly integrated planning

In other words:

RCCP becomes a band-aid on a broken planning culture.

5. RCCP should enable growth — not limit it

When done correctly, RCCP does not say:
“You cannot sell this.”

It says:
“Here’s what we need to change to deliver what the market wants.”

That is a fundamentally different mindset.

Mature organisations use RCCP to:

✔ identify bottlenecks early
✔ plan shifts, overtime, or outsourcing
✔ run “what-if” demand scenarios
✔ adjust SKU portfolio
✔ justify CAPEX based on actual commercial opportunity
✔ synchronise Sales, Planning, Ops, and Finance

RCCP should be a growth enabler, not a growth stopper.

How RCCP should work

1. Embedded within S&OP, not isolated in SCM

True alignment happens when RCCP feeds Executive S&OP with early warnings, scenarios, and real constraints.

2. Shared ownership — not SCM vs Sales

Capacity decisions belong to the entire business, not one department.

3. Forward-looking, not retrospective

RCCP must run early enough to prevent issues, not document them.

4. Customer-first thinking

Every capacity discussion should start with one question:

“How do we fulfil what our customers truly value?”

When customer value is the compass, capacity planning becomes strategic — not political.

Final Thought

RCCP is a powerful tool.
But its impact depends entirely on the maturity of the organisation using it.

If planning is siloed, reactive, or politically charged, RCCP becomes a weapon.
If planning is integrated, transparent, and customer-centric, RCCP becomes a competitive advantage.

Capacity is not a weapon.
Capacity is a capability.
And capabilities should serve the customer — not internal politics.