The present invention is generally directed to methods and systems for converting tool processing ability based upon work in progress considerations. In one illustrative embodiment, the method includes identifying a plurality of wafers to be processed in one of a plurality of tools, identifying, on a collective basis, a number of different process operations to be performed in processing the wafers and a number of wafers to be processed in accordance with each of the different process operations, changing a processing ability of at least one of the tools based upon the number of wafers to be processed in accordance with the different process operations, and processing at least one of the wafers in at least one of the tools wherein the processing ability was changed. In other embodiments, the method comprises changing the processing ability of at least one of the tools such that the processing ability of the tools, considered collectively, is correlated with the number of wafers to be processed in accordance with each of the different process operations.