Module Title FACILITIES LAYOUT & DESIGN

Module No. 2
Lesson 2 Factors affecting facility layout
Total Study 3
Hours
Module and Prof. NECIE JOY V. LUNARIO
Learning Neciejoy.lunarioudm@gmail.com
Facilitator/Con
tacts
Module Enumerate the factors in affecting facility layout and design
Learning
Outcomes
Content Factors Affecting Facility Layout 

Teaching and Lecture - Discussion, Video Presentation, Collaborative

Learning Learning, PowerPoint Presentation, and Modular Instruction
Activities
Assessment Online Quizzes, Completion of Module Activities and
Methods Assignments

References/Re Kikolski, M., & Ko, C. H. (2018). Facility layout design–review of current
adings research directions. Engineering Management in Production and Services,
10(3).

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What Needs to Be Looked At
The space in which your business’s activities take place will have a significant
impact on the quality of the work and the rate at which it’s produced. The ideal
manufacturing facility layout design integrates the needs of workers, materials
and equipment in a way which results in a well-functioning and productive
system.
These are a few of the factors that need to be looked at when designing a
facility layout:
1. Process flow: Work should move smoothly down the line with no
bottlenecking or backtracking.

2. Use of space: Traffic lanes should allow for employees or transport

equipment to easily move about as needed and there should be adequate
and accessible space for storage and staging.

3. Safety: All business operations must comply with the guidelines

mandated by local government and the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

4. Communication ease: The production line should be laid out so that

both communications and supervisory support can take place easily.

5. Employee morale: A facility design which fosters employee morale and

motivation can have a positive impact on productivity.
Factors affecting Facility Layout
Facility layout designing and implementation is influenced by various
factors. These factors vary from industry to industry but influence facility
layout. These factors are as follows:

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 ▪ The design of the facility layout should consider overall objectives
set by the organization.
▪ Optimum space needs to be allocated for process and technology.
▪ A proper safety measure to avoid mishaps.
▪ Overall management policies and future direction of the
organization

Factors affecting Facility Layout:

https://clevelandprocessimprovements.com/facility-site-layout-design/
.
The factors affecting plant layout can be grouped into 8 categories:

1. Materials:- The layout of the productive equipment will depend on the

characteristics of the product to be managed at the facility, as well as the
different parts and materials to work on. Main factors to be considered:
size, shape, volume, weight, and the physical-chemical characteristics,
since they influence the manufacturing methods and storage and material
handling processes. The sequence and order of the operations will affect
plant layout as well, taking into account the variety and quantity to
produce.

2. Machinery: Having information about the processes, machinery, tools and

necessary equipment, as well as their use and requirements is essential to
design a correct layout. The methods and time studies to improve the
processes are closely linked to the plant layout. Regarding machinery, we
have to consider the type, total available for each type, as well as type and

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 quantity of tools and equipment. It’s essential as well to know about space
required, shape, height, weight, quantity and type of workers required, risks
for the personnel, requirements of auxiliary services, etc.
3. abour- Labour has to be organized in the production process (direct
labour, supervision and auxiliary services). Environment considerations:
employees’ safety, light conditions, ventilation, temperature, noise, etc.
Process considerations: personnel qualifications, flexibility, number of
workers required at a given time as well as the type of work to be performed
by them.

4. Material Handling: Material handling does not add value to the product;
it’s just waste. Objective: Minimize material handling as well as combining
with other operations when possible, eliminating unnecessary and costly
movements.
5. Waiting Time: Objective: Continuous Material Flow through the facility,
avoiding the cost of waiting time and demurrages that happen when the
flow stops. On the other hand, the material waiting to flow through the
facility not always represents a cost to avoid. It’s necessary then to
consider space for the required stock at the facility when designing the
layout.
6. Auxiliary Services: Support the main production activities at the plant:
Related to labor: Accessibility paths, fire protection installations,
supervision, safety, etc. The auxiliary services represent around 30% of the
space at a facility. The space dedicated to auxiliary services is usually
considered as waste. It’s important to have efficient services to insure that
their indirect costs have been minimized.
7. The building: If it has been already selected, its characteristics will be a
constraint at the moment of designing the layout, which is different if the building
has to be built.
8. Future Changes: One of the main objectives of plant layout is flexibility. It’s important to
forecast the future changes to avoid having an inefficient plant layout in a short term.
Flexibility can be reached keeping the original layout as free as possible regarding fixed
characteristics, allowing the adjustment to emergencies and variations of the normal

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process activities. Possible future extensions of the facility must be taken into account,
as well as the feasibility of production