Which of the following is NOT an OM strategy/issue during the growth stage of the product life cycle?

In the growth stage of the product life cycle, organizations typically experience increased demand for their products. As a result, operational strategies must align with this growth trajectory. Reducing capacity would be counterproductive in this context because the goal is to meet rising customer demands, and an organization would want to increase, rather than decrease, its capacity to capitalize on market opportunities.

Forecasting becomes critically important during the growth stage, as accurate predictions of demand can help businesses optimize their production and inventory levels. Enhancing distribution is also a key focus, as companies strive to ensure that their products are readily available to customers, which is crucial for sustaining growth. Shifting toward a product focus aligns with this stage since companies need to enhance their product offerings and streamline operations.

Therefore, reducing capacity is not an appropriate strategy during the growth phase, making it the correct choice as the option that does not align with the objectives and strategies typically employed by organizations in that stage.