1. Process Layout Chapter 8 L L M M D D D D L L M M L L M M G G L L G G A1

2. How Process Layout fits the Operations Management Philosophy
Operations As a Competitive
Weapon
Operations Strategy
Project Management
Process Strategy
Process Analysis
Process Performance and Quality
Constraint Management
Process Layout
Lean Systems
Supply Chain Strategy
Location
Inventory Management
Forecasting
Sales and Operations Planning
Resource Planning
Scheduling

3. Layout Planning
Layout planning is planning that involves decisions about the physical arrangement of economic activity centers needed by a facility’s various processes.
Layout plans translate the broader decisions about the competitive priorities, process strategy, quality, and capacity of its processes into actual physical arrangements.
Economic activity center: Anything that consumes space -- a person or a group of people, a customer reception area, a teller window, a machine, a workstation, a department, an aisle, or a storage room.

4. Layout Planning Questions
Before a manager can make decisions regarding physical arrangement, four questions must be addressed.
What centers should the layout include?
How much space and capacity does each center need?
How should each center’s space be configured?
Where should each center be located?

5. Strategic Issues Impact and Implications
Layout choices can help communicate an organization’s product plans and competitive priorities.
Altering a layout can affect an organization and how well it meets its competitive priorities in the following ways:
Increasing customer satisfaction and sales at a retail store.
Facilitating the flow of materials and information.
Increasing the efficient utilization of labor and equipment.
Reducing hazards to workers.
Improving employee morale.
Improving communication.

6. Types of Layouts
Flexible-flow (process) layout: A layout that organizes resources (employees) and equipment by function rather than by service or product.
Line-flow (product) layout: A layout in which workstations or departments are arranged in a linear path.
Hybrid layout: An arrangement in which some portions of the facility have a flexible-flow and others have a line-flow layout.
Fixed-position layout: An arrangement in which service or manufacturing site is fixed in place; employees along with their equipment, come to the site to do their work.

7. A Flexible Flow Layout A job shop has a flexible-flow layout. Foundry
Milling
machines
Lathes
Grinding
Painting
Drills
Office
Welding
Forging 5

8. Line Flow Layout A production line has a line-flow layout. Station 110

9. Comparison Of Product And Process Layouts
PRODUCT LAYOUT PROCESS LAYOUT
1. Description Sequential arrangement Functional grouping
of machines of machines
2. Type of Process Continuous, mass Intermittent, job shop
production, mainly batch production,
assembly mainly fabrication
3. Product Standardized Varied,
made to stock made to order
4. Demand Stable Fluctuating
5. Volume High Low
6. Equipment Special purpose General purpose
7. Workers Limited skills Varied skills
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Ch 7 - 9

10. Comparison Of Product And Process Layouts
PRODUCT LAYOUT PROCESS LAYOUT
8. Inventory Low in-process, High in-process,
high finished goods low finished goods
9. Storage space Small Large
10. Material Fixed path Variable path
handling (conveyor) (forklift)
11. Aisles Narrow Wide
12. Scheduling Part of balancing Dynamic
13. Layout decision Line balancing Machine location
14. Goal Equalize work at Minimize material
each station handling cost
15. Advantage Efficiency Flexibility
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11. Performance Criteria Customer satisfaction Level of capital investment
Requirements for materials handling
Ease of stockpicking
Work environment and “atmosphere”
Ease of equipment maintenance
Employee and internal customer attitudes
Amount of flexibility needed
Customer convenience and levels of sales

12. Creating Hybrid Layouts
Layout flexibility is the property of a facility to remain desirable after significant changes occur or to be easily and inexpensively adopted in response to changes.
A One-worker, multiple-machines (OWMM) cell is a one-person cell in which a worker operates several different machines simultaneously to achieve a line flow.
A Cell is two or more dissimilar workstations located close together through which a limited number of parts or models are processed with line flows.

13. One Worker, Multiple Machines
Materials in
Finished goods out 14

14. Group Technology (GT)
Group Technology (GT) is an option for achieving line-flow layouts with low-volume processes; this technique creates cells not limited to just one worker and has a unique way of selecting work to be done by the cell.
The GT method groups parts or products with similar characteristics into families and sets aside groups of machines for their production.

15. Before Group Technology
Jumbled flows in a job shop without GT cells
Drilling D
Grinding G
Milling M
Assembly A
Lathing
Receiving and shipping L 14

16. Applied Group Technology
Line flows in a job shop with three GT cells
Cell 3 L M G
Cell 1
Cell 2
Assembly area A D
Shipping
Receiving 18

17. Classification and Coding System
Source: Organization for Industrial Research Inc.

18. Original Process Layout
Assembly 4 6 7 9 5 8 2 10 12 1 3 11 A B C
Raw materials
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19. Cellular Layout Solution
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20. Warehouse Layouts Out-and-back Pattern
The most basic warehouse layout is the out-and-back pattern. The numbers indicate storage areas for same or similar items.
Dock
Aisle
Storage area

21. Warehouse Layouts Zone System
Click to add title
Zones
Control station
Shipping doors
Tractor trailer
Overflow
Feeder lines 59

22. Office Layouts
Most formal procedures for designing office layouts try to maximize the proximity of workers whose jobs require frequent interaction.
Privacy is another key factor in office design.
Four common office layouts:
Traditional layouts
Office landscaping (cubicles/movable partitions)
Activity settings
Electronic cottages (Telecommuting)

23. Designing Line-Flow Layouts
Line balancing is the assignment of work to stations in a line so as to achieve the desired output rate with the smallest number of workstations.
Work elements are the smallest units of work that can be performed independently.
Immediate predecessors are work elements that must be done before the next element can begin.
Precedence diagram allows one to visualize immediate predecessors better; work elements are denoted by circles, with the time required to perform the work shown below each circle.

24. Line Balancing Example 8.3
Green Grass, Inc., a manufacturer of lawn & garden equipment, is designing an assembly line to produce a new fertilizer spreader, the Big Broadcaster. Using the following information, construct a precedence diagram for the Big Broadcaster. 63

25. Line Balancing Green Grass, Inc.
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A Bolt leg frame to hopper 40 None
B Insert impeller shaft 30 A
C Attach axle 50 A
D Attach agitator 40 B
E Attach drive wheel 6 B
F Attach free wheel 25 C
G Mount lower post 15 C
H Attach controls 20 D, E
I Mount nameplate 18 F, G
Total 244
Work Time Immediate
Element Description (sec) Predecessor(s)
Line Balancing Green Grass, Inc. 40 D 20 H 30 B 6 E 40 A 25 F 50 C 18 I 15 G 64

26. Desired Output and Cycle Time
Desired output rate, r must be matched to the staffing or production plan.
Cycle time, c is the maximum time allowed for work on a unit at each station: 1 r
c =

27. Theoretical Minimum
Theoretical minimum (TM ) is a benchmark or goal for the smallest number of stations possible, where total time required to assemble each unit (the sum of all work-element standard times) is divided by the cycle time. It must be rounded up
Idle time is the total unproductive time for all stations in the assembly of each unit.
Efficiency (%) is the ratio of productive time to total time.
Balance Delay is the amount by which efficiency falls short of 100%.

28. Output Rate and Cycle Time Example 8.4
Green Grass, Inc.
Desired output rate, r = 2400/week
Plant operates 40 hours/week
r = 2400/40 = 60 units/hour
Cycle time, c = 1/60
= 1 minute/unit
= 60 seconds/unit 1 r

29. Calculations for Example 8.4 continued
Theoretical minimum (TM ) - sum of all work-element standard times divided by the cycle time.
TM = 244 seconds/60 seconds = 4.067
It must be rounded up to 5 stations
Cycle time: c = 1/60 = 1 minute/unit = 60 seconds/unit
Efficiency (%) - ratio of productive time to total time.
Efficiency = [244/5(60)]100 = 81.3%
Balance Delay - amount by which efficiency falls short of 100%.
(100 − 81.3) = 18.7%

30. Green Grass, Inc. Line Balancing Solution
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Green Grass, Inc. Line Balancing Solution
The goal is to cluster the work elements into 5 workstations so that the number of work-stations is minimized, and the cycle time of 60 seconds is not violated. Here we use the trial-and-error method to find a solution, although commercial software packages are also available. S5 S4 6 E 20 H 18 I 40 D 30 B 25 F 50 C A 15 G S3 S1 S2
c = 60 seconds/unit
TM = 5 stations
Efficiency = 81.3%

31. Other Considerations
In addition to balancing a line, managers must also consider four other options:
1. Pacing: The movement of product from one station to the next as soon as the cycle time has elapsed.
2. Behavioral factors of workers.
3. Number of models produced: A mixed-model line produces several items belonging to the same family.
4. Cycle times depend on the desired output rate, and efficiency varies considerably with the cycle time selected. Thus exploring a range of cycle times makes sense.