Improving the efficiency of sporting venues through capacity management - The case of the Sydney (Australia) Cricket Ground Trust

Capacity management seeks to improve organizational effectiveness through improved operational efficiency and reduced congestion. The article contends that there are major similarities between manufacturing organizations and sporting venues with respect to issues of capacity management. This article reports the findings of two capacity management studies undertaken at a major sporting venue in Sydney, Australia, and relates the findings to capacity management theory articulated in current capacity literature and exhibited in existing management practice. It is proposed that by understanding the well-developed techniques presented in the production capacity literature, venue managers may be able to identify pockets of idle capacity and bottleneck problems. This identification should facilitate the control, if not the elimination, of specific areas of waste, which in turn should remove some of the hidden costs of capacity, thereby increasing the profit potential of an organization.