CHAPTER 6:
FACILITY AND WORK
DESIGN
By: SOTTO, LHECEL MAE A.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After studying this chapter you should be able to:
01
Describe four layout 03
Described issues
patterns and when they related to workplace
should be used. design.
02 Explain the concept of 04 Described the
process layout. human issues.
FACILITY LAYOUT
Refers to the specific arrangement of physical facilities.
Four major layout patterns are commonly used in configuring facilities:
[Link] LAYOUT - Is an arrangement based on the sequence
of operations that is performed during the manufacturing of a
good or delivery of a service.
Product layout supports a smooth and logical flow where all goods or
services move in a continuous path from one process stage to the
next, using the same sequence of work tasks and activities.
Example:
[Link] LAYOUT - Consists of a functional grouping
of equipment or activities that do similar work.
Example:
3. CELLULAR LAYOUT - The design is not according to the
functional characteristics of equipment, but rather is based on
self-contained groups of equipment ( called cells ) needed for
producing a particular set of goods or services.
Example:
4. FIXED POSITION LAYOUT- A fixed position
layout consolidates the resources necessary to
manufacture a good or deliver a service, such as
people, materials, and equipment, in one
physical location.
The production of large items such as heavy
machine tools, airplanes, buildings, locomotives,
and ships is usually accomplished in a fixed-
position layout.
FACILITY IN LAYOUT IN SERVICE ORGANIZATION
Service organizations use product, processes, cellular, and fixed
position layouts to organize different types of work.
COMPARISON OF BASIC LAYOUT PATTERNS
PRODUCT PROCESS CELLULAR FIXED-POSITION
CHARACTERISTICS
LAYOUT LAYOUT LAYOUT LAYOUT
[Link] VOLUME
[Link] High Low Moderate
Very low
High Low High
UTILIZATION Moderate
High
[Link] High Moderate Moderate
Low
POTENTIAL High Moderate High
Moderate
[Link]/CHANGEOVER Low High Moderate
Moderate
REQUIREMENTS General Moderate
Highly specializa
[Link] Purposes specialization
specialized tion
[Link] OF EQUIPMENT
DESIGNING PRODUCT LAYOUT
Product layouts in flow shops generally consist of a
fixed sequence of work stations. Work stations are
generally separated by buffers ( queues of work in
process ) to store work waiting for processing, and
are often linked by gravity conveyors ( which cause
parts to simply roll to the end and stop ) to allow
easy transfer of work.
EXAMPLE:
Such product layouts, however, can suffer from two sources of
delay : flow-blocking and lack-of-work delay.
FLOW-BLOCKING DELAY ( OR BLOCKING DELAY )
Occurs when a work center completes a unit but cannot release
it because the in-process storage at the next stage is full. The
worker must remain idle until storage space becomes available.
LACK-OF-WORK DELAY
Occurs whenever one stages completes work and no units from
the previous stage are awaiting processing. Lack of work delay
is often describe as “starving” the immediate successor
workstation.
DESIGNING PROCESS LAYOUTS
In designing process layouts, we are concerned with the arrangement
of departments or work centers relative to each other. Two major
approaches are commonly used.
The first focuses on the costs associated with moving materials or
the inconvenience that costumers might experience in moving
between physical location. This approach is widely used in
manufacturing.
The second approach is used when it is difficult to obtain data on
costs or volumes moved between departments. Thus approach is
useful in many service applications such as offices, laboratories,
retail stores, and so on.
Rather than using materials-handling costs as the primary
criterion, the user constructs a preference table that specifies
how important it is for two departments to be close to the
another. An example of such “ CLOSENESS RATINGS” follows:
Absolutely necessary
Especially important
Important
Ordinary closeness okay
Unimportant
Undesirable
Using these ratings, the approach attempts to optimize the total
closeness rating of the layout.
EXAMPLE OF PREFERENCE TABLE/CLOSENESS APPROACH:
SECTIONS/AREAS RATING
CASHIER & PRODUCT ( A) ABSOLUTELY
DISPLAY NECESSARY
PRODUCT DISPLAY & STOCK
( B) ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
INVENTORY
CASHIER & STOCK
( C) UNIMPORTANT
INVENTORY
WORKPLACE AND JOB DESIGN
WORKPLACE DESIGN
Key questions that must be addressed in designing the workplace include:
1.) Who will use the workplace? Will the workstation be shared? How
much space is required? Workplace designs must take into account
different physical characteristics of individuals, such as differences in
size, arm length, strength, and dexterity. For offices, layouts range from
open formats to encourage collaboration and relationship building to
isolated cubicles and offices with walls and few windows. As described
in Chapter 4. defining the office service scape and service-encounter
design are also important.
2.) How will the work be performed? What tasks are required?
How much time does each task take? How much time is required
to set up for the workday or for a particular job? How might the
tasks be grouped into work activities most effectively? This
includes knowing what information, equipment, items, and
procedures are required for each task, work activity, and job.
3.) What technology is needed? Employees may need to use a
computer or have access to customer records and files, special
equipment, intercoms, tablets, and other forms of technology.
4.) What must the employee be able to see? Employees
might need special fixtures for blueprints, test procedures,
sorting paper, antiglare computer screens, and so on.
5.) What must the employee be able to hear? Employees may
need to communicate with others, wear a telephone headset
all day, be able to listen for certain sounds during product and
laboratory testing, or able to hear warning sounds.
6.)What environmental and safety issues need to be
addressed? What protective clothing or gear should the
employee wear? What is an acceptable noise level? Are all
employees trained on emergency evacuation procedures and
plans.
JOB DESIGN
A job is the set of tasks an individual performs. Job design
involves determining the specific job tasks and
responsibilities, the work environment, and the methods by
which the tasks will be carried out to meet the goals of
operations.
JOB ENLARGEMENT
Is the horizontal expansion of the job to give the worker
more variety although not necessarily more responsibility.
JOB ENRICHMENT
Is vertical expansion of job duties to give the worker more
responsibility.
A highly effective approach to job enrichment is to use teams. Some
of the more common ones are:
Natural work teams, which perform entire jobs, rather than
specialize, assembly line work.
Virtual teams, in which members communicate by computer,
take turns as leaders and join and leave the team as necessary.
Self-managed teams ( SMTs), which are empowered work
teams that also assume many traditional management
responsibilities.
SAFETY, ERGONOMICS, AND THE WORK
ENVIRONMENT
SAFETY
Safety is one of the most important aspects of workplace design,
particularly in todays society. To provide safe and healthful working
conditions and reduce hazards in the work environment.
ERGONOMICS
Is concerned with improving productivity and safety by designing
workplaces, equipment, instruments, computers, workstations, and so
on that take into account the physical capabilities of people.
The objective of ergonomics is to reduce fatigue, the cost of training,
human errors, the cost of doing job, and energy requirements while
increasing accuracy, speed, reliability, and flexibility.
WORK ENVIRONMENT
It is important to pay serious attention to the work environment,
not only in factories but in every facility where work is performed,
such as officers, restaurants, hospitals, and retail stores.
WORKFORCE ETHICS AND GLOBAL SUPPLY
CHAIN
Global supply chains bring a host of
new issues related to the design of work.
Workers in many countries are bullied,
and force to work excessive hours, for
wages on which they can barely survive.
Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) is a leading
alliance of companies, trade unions, and
nongovernmental organizations that promotes
respect for workers' rights around the globe.
Their vision is a world where all workers are free
from exploitation and discrimination, and enjoy
conditions of freedom, security and equity. ETI
seek to ensure the following:
[Link] is freely chosen.
[Link] conditions are safe and hygienic.
[Link] labor should not be abused.
[Link] wages are paid.
[Link] hours are not excessive.
[Link] discrimination is practiced
[Link] employment is provided.
[Link] harsh or inhumane treatment is allowed.
Thank You! 🤪