Plant layout: It is a plan for effective utilisation of facilities for the manufacture of products; involving a most

efficient and economical arrangement of machines, materials, personnel, storage space and all supporting services,
within available floor space.
Plant layout is a plan of optimum arrangement of facilities including personnel, equipment’s, storage space, material
handling equipment and all other supporting services along with the decision of best structure to contain all these
facilities.”

Objectives/Advantages of Plant Layout

(i) Streamline flow of materials through the plant
(ii) Minimise material handling
(iii) Facilitate manufacturing progress by maintaining balance in the processes
(iv) Maintain flexibility of arrangements and of operation
(v) Maintaining high turnover of in-process inventory
(vi) Effective utilisation of men, equipment and space
(vii) Increase employee morale
(viii) Minimise interference (i.e. interruption) from machines
(ix) Reduce hazards affecting employees
(x) Hold down investment (i.e. keep investment at a lower level) in equipment.
Principles of Plant Layout: While designing the plant layout, the following principles must be kept in view:
(i) Principle of Minimum Movement: Materials and labour should be moved over minimum distances; saving cost
and time of transportation and material handling.
(ii) Principle of Space Utilization: All available cubic space should be effectively utilized – both horizontally and
vertically.
(iii) Principle of Flexibility: Layout should be flexible enough to be adaptable to changes required by expansion or
technological development.
(iv) Principle of Interdependence: Interdependent operations and processes should be located in close proximity to
each other; to minimize product travel.
(v) Principle of Overall Integration:All the plant facilities and services should be fully integrated into a single
operating unit; to minimize cost of production.
(vi) Principle of Safety: There should be in-built provision in the design of layout, to provide for comfort and safety
of workers.
(vii) Principle of Smooth Flow: The layout should be so designed as to reduce work bottlenecks and facilitate
uninterrupted flow of work throughout the plant.
(viii) Principle of Economy: The layout should aim at effecting economy in terms of investment in fixed assets.
(ix) Principle of Supervision: A good layout should facilitate effective supervision over workers.
(x) Principle of Satisfaction: A good layout should boost up employee morale, by providing them with maximum
work satisfaction.
Types of Plant Layout: Two basic plans of the arrangement of manufacturing facilities are – product layout and
process layout. The only other alternative is a combination of product and process layouts, in the same plant.
Following is an account of the various types of plant layout:
(a) Product Layout (or Line Layout): In this type of layout, all the machines are arranged in the sequence, as
required to produce a specific product. It is called line layout because machines are arrange in a straight line.
The raw materials are fed at one end and taken out as finished product to the other end. Special purpose
machines are used which perform the required jobs (i.e. functions) quickly and reliably.
Product layout is depicted below:

Advantages:
1. Reduced material handling cost due to mechanized handling systems and straight flow
2. Perfect line balancing which eliminates bottlenecks and idle capacity.
3. Short manufacturing cycle due to uninterrupted flow of materials
4. Simplified production planning and control; and simple and effective inspection of work.
5. Small amount of work-in-progress inventory
6. Lesser wage cost, as unskilled workers can learn and manage production.
Disadvantages:
1. Lack of flexibility of operations, as layout cannot be adapted to the manufacture of any other type of product.
2. Large capital investment, because of special purpose machines.
3. Dependence of whole activity on each part; any breakdown of one machine in the sequence may result in stoppage
of production.
4. Same machines duplicated for manufacture of different products; leading to high overall operational costs.
5. Delicate special purpose machines require costly maintenance / repairs.
Suitability of product layout:
Product layout is suitable in the following cases:
1. Where one or few standardized products are manufactured.
2. Where a large volume of production of each item has to travel the production process, over a considerable period
of time.
3. Where time and motion studies can be done to determine the rate of work.
4. Where a possibility of a good balance of labour and equipment exists.
5. Where minimum of inspection is required, during sequence of operations.
6. Where materials and products permit bulk or continuous handling by mechanical parts.
7. Where minimum of set-ups are required.
(b) Process Layout (or Functional Layout):

In this type of layout, all machines performing similar type of operations are grouped at one location i.e. all lathes,
milling machines etc. are grouped in the shop and they will be clustered in like groups.
A typical process layout is depicted below:

Advantages:
1. Greater flexibility with regard to work distribution to machinery and personnel. Adapted to frequent changes in
sequence of operations.
2. Lower investment due to general purpose machines; which usually are less costly than special purpose machines.
3. Higher utilisation of production facilities; which can be adapted to a variety of products.
4. Variety of jobs makes the work challenging and interesting.
5. Breakdown of one machine does not result in complete stoppage of work.
Disadvantages:
1. Backtracking and long movements occur in handling of materials. As such, material handling costs are higher.
2. Mechanisation of material handling is not possible.
3. Production planning and control is difficult
4. More space requirement; as work-in-progress inventory is high-requiring greater storage space.
5. As the work has to pass through different departments; it is quite difficult to trace the responsibility for the
finished product.
Suitability of process layout:
Process layout is suitable in the following cases, where:
1. Non-standardised products are manufactured; as the emphasis is on special orders.
2. It is difficult to achieve good labour and equipment balance.
3. Production is not carried on a large scale.
4. It is difficult to undertake adequate time and motion studies.
5. It is frequently necessary to use the same machine or work station for two or more difficult operations.
6. During the sequence of operations, many inspections are required.
7. Process may have to be brought to work, instead of “vice-versa”; because materials or products are too large or
heavy to permit bulk or continuous handling by mechanical means.
(c) Combination Layout: In practice, plants are rarely laid out either in product or process layout form.
Generally a combination of the two basic layouts is employed; to derive the advantages of both systems of layout.
For example, refrigerator manufacturing uses a combination layout.
Process layout is used to produce various operations like stamping, welding, heat treatment being carried out in
different work centres as per requirement. The final assembly of the product is done in a product type layout.
(d) Fixed Position Layout:
It is also called stationary layout. In this type of layout men, materials and machines are brought to a product that
remains in one place owing to its size. Ship-building, air-craft manufacturing, wagon building, heavy construction of
dams, bridges, buildings etc. are typical examples of such layout.

Work Study: According to ILO — International Labour Organisation — work study is “a term used to embrace
the techniques of method study and work measurement which are employed to ensure the best possible use of
human and material resources in carrying out a specified activity.” In other words, “work study is a tool or
technique of management involving the analytical study of a job or operation.” Work study helps to increase
productivity.

Objectives of Work Study:

(i) Work study brings higher productivity;

ii) Work study improves existing method of work for which cost becomes lower;
(iii) It eliminates wasteful elements;
(iv) It sets standard of performance;
(v) It helps to use plant and human more effectively;
(vi) It improves by saving in time and loss of material also.
Steps Involved in Work Study: The steps of work study are:

(i) It selects the jobs which are to be studied;

(ii) It examines critically the recorded facts which are already done;
(iii) It records from direct observations all the matters which are happened;
(iv) It defines new method;
(v) It also installs the new method;
(vi) It also maintains the new standard;
(vii) It develops most economic and appropriate methods;
(viii) It measures the work content in the method, that is selected and compute a standard time.
Types of Work Study:

1. Method Study: According to ILO, method study is “the systematic recording, analysis and critical
examination of existing and proposed ways of doing work and the development and application of easier and
more effective method”. In short, it is a systematic procedure to analyse the work to eliminate unnecessary
operations.

Objectives: The objectives of method study are:

(i) It improves the proper utilisation of manpower, machine and materials;

(ii) It also improves the factory layout, work place, etc.;
(iii) It also improves the process and procedure;
(iv) It develops better physical working environment;
(v) It reduces undesirable fatigue.
Steps: The steps of method study are:
(i) At first select the proper work which are to be studied;
(ii) Record all the facts of existing method;
(iii) Examine the facts very critically;
(iv) Develop the most practical, economic, and effective method;
(v) Install the method and the same should be maintained.

2. Time And Motion Study: According to ILO, Time Study means “a technique for determining as accurately as
possible from a limited number of observations the time necessary to carry out a given activity at a different
standard of performance”. In other words, “time study is the art of observing and recording time required to do
each detailed element of an individual operation.” Practically, it studies the time taken on each element of a job.

Motion study, on the other hand, is the study of the body motion used in performing an operation, with the thought
of improving the operation by eliminating unnecessary motion and simplifying necessary motion and thus
establishing the most favourable motion sequence for maximum efficiency.

So, in short, ‘Time Study’ means the determination of standard time that is taken by a worker of average ability
under normal working conditions for performing a job. But ‘Motion Study’ determines the correct method of doing a
job to avoid wasteful movements, for which the workers are unnecessarily tired.

Steps:
1. Time and Motion studies eliminate wasteful movements;
2. They examine the proposed method critically and determine the most effective one;
3. They determine for each element having a stop-watch;
4. They record all the parts of a job which are done by the existing method;
5. They install the method as standard one;
6. They critically observe the workers who are engaged with the work;
7. They assess the proper speed of the operator who is working.
Work Measurement Techniques: Image depicts different work measurement techniques, methods or types.

Work measurement techniques are listed below:

1. Historical data method - It uses the past performance data to set performance standards.

2. Time study - It uses stop watch and is best suited for short-cycle repetitive jobs.

3. Work sampling - Here, workers are observed many times at random.

4. Synthesis method - Here, the full job is divided into element or parts.
 5. Predetermined motion time system (PMTS) - Here, normally, three times are fixed for one job namely;
normal, fast, and very-fast.

6. Analytical estimating - It is used for fixing the standard time for jobs, which are very long and repetitive.

1. Historical data method: Historical data method uses the past-performance data. Here, past performance is used
as a guideline for setting work performance standards. The main advantage of this technique is that it is simple to
understand, quicker to estimate and easier to implement. However, past performance is not the best basis for fixing
performance standards. This is because there may be many changes in technology, employees’ behavior, abilities,
etc.

2. Time study: Time study with the help of a stop watch is the most commonly used work measurement method.
This technique was developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915). Time study is best suited for short-cycle
repetitive jobs. Most of the production jobs can be easily timed by a time-study.

Time study procedure consists of the following steps:

1. Select the job to be timed.

2. Standardize the method of doing the job.

3. Select the worker to be studied.

4. Record the necessary details of the job and conditions of work.

5. Divide the job into elements. Here, ’element’ is a part of the job.

6. Find out the time taken to do every single element.

7. Keep provisions for relaxation, etc.

8. Fix the standard time for doing the job.

3. Work sampling: Work sampling method was original developed by Leonard Henry Caleb Tippett (1902-1985) in
Britain in 1934. In this technique, the workers are observed many times at random. It is done to find out for how
much time the worker is actually on the job. It checks how long he is working and how much time he is not working
(idle time).

Work sampling method does not involve stop watch measurement. The purpose of work sampling technique is to
estimate what proportion of a worker’s time is devoted to work-related activities.

Work sampling method involves following three main steps:

1. Deciding what activities are defined as ’working’. Non-working are those activities which are not defined as
working.

2. Observe the worker at selected intervals and record (write down) whether he is working or not.

3. Calculate the portion of time (P), a worker is working.

A portion of time (P) a worker is working equals to ’Number of observations during which working occurred’
divided by ’Total Number of observations.’ The above calculation is used as a performance standard.
4. Synthesis method: In synthesis method, the full job is first divided into elements (parts). Then the time taken to
do each element of the job is found out and synthesized (totaled). This gives the total time taken for doing the full
job. In this technique, the time taken to do each element of the job is found out from previous time studies. So, this
technique gives importance to past-time studies of similar jobs. It also uses standard data.

Standard-data is the normal time taken for doing routine jobs. Standard data is easily available for routine-jobs like
fitting screws, drilling holes, etc. So there is no need of calculating these times repeatedly. Most companies use
Standard-data. They do not waste time doing studies for all elements of the job. This is because standard time is
already available for most elements of a job.

For example, a job of publishing a book contains four elements viz; typing, editing, printing and binding. The time
taken for doing each element is first found out. Suppose, typing takes 40 days, editing takes 30 days; printing takes
20 days and binding takes 10 days. Then the time taken to do all the elements are totaled. That is, it takes 40 + 30 +
20 + 10 = 100 days to publish a book. This information is taken from previous time studies of other printing jobs or
from the standard data.

Synthesis technique also considers the level of performance. Level of performance refers to the speed of
performance, which is either, normal, fast, or very-fast.

The benefits or advantages of synthesis method:

1. It provides reliable information about standard time for doing different jobs. This is because it is based on
many past time studies.

2. It is economical because there is no need to conduct new time studies.

5. Predetermined motion time system: In ’Predetermined Motion Time System’ method or simply PMTS
technique, the normal times are fixed for basic human motions. These time values are used to fix the time required
for doing a job. Normally, three times are fixed for one job. That is, one time is fixed for each level of performance.
The level of performance may be normal, fast and very-fast.
PTMS is better than motion studies because it gives the detailed analysis of the motion, and it fixes the standard time
for doing that motion.
PTMS technique is used mostly for jobs, which are planned for future. However, it can also be used for current jobs
as an alternative to time study.

The benefits or advantages of PMTS method:

1. It is a very accurate method. It avoids subjective judgement or bias of rater.

2. It is an effective and economical method for repetitive jobs of short duration.

3. There is no interference in the normal work routine, and so it does not face any resistance from the
employees.

4. It helps to improve the work methods because it gives a detailed analysis of the motions.

5. It is more economical and fast compared to normal time studies.

6. Analytical estimating: Analytical estimating method or technique is used for fixing the standard time for jobs,
which are very long and repetitive. The standard-time is fixed by using standard-data. However, if standard data is
not available, then the standard time is fixed based on the experience of the work-study engineer.
The benefits or advantages of analytical estimating technique:
1. It helps in planning and scheduling the production activities.
2. It provides a basis for fixing labor rate for non-repetitive jobs.
 3. It is economical because it uses standard data for fixing the standard time of each job.
One disadvantage or limitation of analytical estimating method:
1. When standard-data is not available for a job, then the standard time is fixed by the work-study engineer. He
uses his experience and judgement for estimating the standard-time. This is not accurate compared to a
scientific time study.