Overproduction

In economics, overproduction, oversupply, excess of supply or glut refers to excess of supply over demand of products being offered to the market. This leads to lower prices and/or unsold goods along with the possibility of unemployment.

The demand side equivalent is underconsumption; some consider supply and demand two sides to the same coin – excess supply is only relative to a given demand, and insufficient demand is only relative to a given supply – and thus consider overproduction and underconsumption equivalent.[1]

In lean thinking, overproduction of goods or goods in process is seen as one of the seven wastes (Japanese term: muda) which do not add value to a product, and is considered "the most serious" of the seven.[2]

Overproduction is often attributed to previous overinvestment – creation of excess productive capacity, which must then either lie idle (or under capacity), which is unprofitable, or produce an excess supply.

  1. ^ Simpson, Brian P. (2014), Simpson, Brian P. (ed.), "Underconsumption and Overproduction Theories of the Business Cycle", Money, Banking, and the Business Cycle: Volume Two Remedies and Alternative Theories, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 9–44, doi:10.1057/9781137336569_2, ISBN 978-1-137-33656-9, retrieved 2022-07-20
  2. ^ EKU Online, The Seven Wastes of Lean Manufacturing, Eastern Kentucky University, accessed 6 March 2023