Capacity planning is the process of determining the production capacity needed by an organization to meet changing demands. It involves assessing existing capacity, forecasting future needs, identifying options to modify capacity, evaluating financial and technological alternatives, and selecting the most suitable option. Capacity planning can be classified as long term or short term based on time horizon and finite or infinite based on resources employed. Long term planning accommodates major changes like new products or facilities while short term addresses intermediate fluctuations through overtime or subcontracting. Factors affecting capacity planning include controllable aspects like labor and facilities as well as less controllable issues like absenteeism or machine breakdowns.