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Part Two
Design
The basic layout types
Basic layout type
Fixed-position layout
Functional layout
Cell layout
Product layout
Layout is influenced by
process types
Most practical layouts are derived from only four basic layout types. These are:
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fixed-position layout
functional layout
cell layout
product layout.
Layout is related to process type
Process ‘types’ (described in Chapter 4) represent the broad approaches to the organization
of processes and activities. Layout is a narrower, but related concept. It is the physical manifestation
of a process type, but there is often some overlap between process types and the
layouts that they could use. As Table 7.1 indicates, a process type does not necessarily imply
only one particular basic layout.
Fixed-position layout
Fixed-position layout is in some ways a contradiction in terms, since the transformed resources
do not move between the transforming resources. Instead of materials, information or customers
flowing through an operation, the recipient of the processing is stationary and the equipment,
machinery, plant and people who do the processing move as necessary. This could be because
the product or the recipient of the service is too large to be moved conveniently, or it might
be too delicate to move, or perhaps it could object to being moved; for example:
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Motorway construction – the product is too large to move.
Open-heart surgery – patients are too delicate to move.
High-class service restaurant – customers would object to being moved to where food is
prepared.
Shipbuilding – the product is too large to move.
Mainframe computer maintenance – the product is too big and probably also too delicate
to move, and the customer might object to bringing it in for repair.
Table 7.1 The relationship between process types and basic layout types