Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Chapter 6

Location, layout and flow

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, 2011

Design

Deliver

Direct

Develop

Operations Management

Slack et al’s model of operations management

Location, layout

and flow

Process design

Product and service design

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

In Chapter 6 - Layout and flow– Slack et. al. identify the following key questions…….

Where should operations be located?

What is ‘layout and what are the basic types used in

operations?

What type of layout should an operation choose?

How should items be positioned in a workplace?

Key operations questions

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

An innovative layout in a surgery improves its efficiency

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Product flow in Cadbury’sFlow of chocolate in Cadbury’s factory

Flow of customers in Cadbury World

Both Cadbury’s chocolate factory and it’s ‘Cadbury World’ visitor attraction use ‘product’ layout. But what will be different about the layouts and why?

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Functional layout in a library - the path of one customer

Entrance Exit

To journal stack

Study desks

On-line and CD-ROM access room

Loan books in subject orderEn

quiri

es

Store room

Counter staffCopying area

Com

pany

repo

rts

Current journals

Reserve collection

Reference section

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Department store with sports goods ‘shop-within-a-shop’

Sports shop Menswear

Women’s clothes

Luggage and gifts

Confectionery, newspaper, magazines

and stationary

Books and

videos Footwear

Perfume& jewellery

Elevators

Entrance

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

An army induction centre which uses product layout

Lecture theatre

Uniform issuing area

Uniform store

Waiting area

Waiting area

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Doctor

Bloodtest

Bloodtest

Bloodtest

X-ray

X-ray

X-ray

Records: personal

history and medical details

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

A product layout in a paper manufacturing operation

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

A restaurant complex with all four basic layout types

Fixed-position layout service restaurant

Cell layout buffet

Line layout

cafeteria

Cool roomFreezer Vegetable prep Grill

Preparation

Ove

n

Functional layout kitchen

Main course buffet

Star

ter

buffe

t

Des

ert

buffe

tService line

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Advantages and disadvantages of Fixed position layout

Fixed position layout

Disadvantages

Advantages

Very high product and mix flexibility

Product/customer not moved

High variety of tasks for staff

Very high unit costs

Scheduling space and activities can be difficult

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Functional layout

Disadvantages

Advantages

High product and mix flexibility

Relatively robust in the case of disruptions

Easy to supervise

Low utilization

Can have very high WIP

Complex flow

Advantages and disadvantages of Functional layout

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Cell layout

Disadvantages

Advantages

Can give good compromise

Fast throughput

Group work can result in good motivation

Can be costly to rearrange existing layout

Can need more plant

Advantages and disadvantages of Cell layout

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Product layout

Disadvantages

Advantages

Low unit costs for high volume

Opportunities for specialization of equipment

Can have low mix flexibility

Not very robust in the case of disruptionsWork can be very repetitive

Advantages and disadvantages of Product layout

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Regular flow more important

Reg

ular

flow

mor

e fe

asib

le

Volume and variety characteristics of layout types

Low Volume High

High Variety Low

Fixed-position layout

Functional layout

Cell layout

Product layout

Flow becomes continuous

Flow is intermittent

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Service functional types

Mass services

Service shops

Manufacturing functional types

Continuous processes

Mass processes

Batch processes

Basic layout types

Fixed position layout

Functional layout

Cell layout

Product layout

The relationship between functional and layout types

Jobbing processes

Professional servicesProject processes

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Basic layout types have different fixed and variable costs that seem to determine which one to use.

Volume

Cos

ts

Use productUsecell

Use functionalUse fixed-

position

Fixed-position

Functional Cell

Product

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

But uncertainty about exact fixed and variable costs means the decision can rarely be made on cost alone

Volume

Cos

ts Fixed-position

Functional

Cell

Product

Use fixed-position

Use functionalUse fixed-position or functional

?

Use functional or cell

?

Use functional or cell or product

?Use product

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © The authors, 2011

Using anthropometric data, ergonomics can guide how people interface with their workplace

Workplace layout

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, 2011

Forearmsapproximately

horizontal

Seat backadjustability

Good lumbarsupport

Seat heightadjustability

No excess pressure on underside of thighs and backs of knees

Foot support

if neededSpace for

postural change,no obstaclesunder desk

Leg room andclearance to allowpostural changes

Ergonomics in the office environment

Workplace layout

Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, Essentials of Operations Management, 1st Edition, © Slack, Brandon-Jones and Johnston, 2011

Ergonomics in the office environment

Keyboard usable,

adjustable,detachable,

legible

Adequate lighting

Distracting noise

minimizedSoftware appropriate to task, adapted to user, no undisclosed monitoring

Screen: stable image,

adjustable, readable

glare/ reflection free

Windowcovering

Adequate contrast,

no glare or distractingreflections

Work surfaces: allow flexible

arrangements, spacious, glare free

Workplace layout