Plant Design, Layout Plant,
Factory Layout Design, Plant Layout

 

Plant Design, Plant Layout, or the arrangement of people, materials and machines within a workspace,
is at the very heart of productivity
in an organization of any size, engaged in just about any endeavor.
JPR can assist you to create the correct layout.

 

Apply good plant design and layout principles to your situation

You searched for "design", or "layout" because of a particular situation you face. While all layouts have similar characteristics, there are key differences which JPR understands well.

Plant Design and Layout

Plant layouts tend to be infrequent, designed to catch up to changes in equipment, products, volumes, and flow. Get it right, the next one may not occur for a while. Phased projects are common, as are sequential moves.

Expand, Grow with Layout Design

A new facility or technology may require new layouts, additional products or volume might as well. Apply productivity principles to create an effective arrangement, to eliminate space constraints.

Consolidate or Downsize

The keyword is utilization; of space or course but also of equipment where it can serve multiple products; of storage through low inventories; of work through intelligent process flow and proximity of functions.

Relocate Operations

Strategy may suggest a move from point A to point B. Take advantage of the move to create a point B layout with advantageous operating practices, tailoring your process to the facility dimensions.

Major Revision

When you plan a major layout, include all the players; consider proximity, flow, project cost, safety, handling. Plan not only for current but also future demands. Building modifications may control the timeline.

Warehouse or DC

Warehouses are all about flow, so use layout principles to minimize the flow and handling while you maximize cube utilization.

Lean Layout

First, achieve a lean operation and then lay it out. You won't be successful if you don't have a lean operation, but try to attain it just through layout.

Office Layout

Office layouts are special because they usually are quite visible, and affect both clients and executives. Timing to cut business interference is critical and employees can really contribute with planning and execution.

Should you use a consultant, or design a layout in house?

The answer depends on your own resources; do they have the technical ability? do they have time available? JPR can develop layout options and provide technical expertise to meet the organization's objectives, time frame, and budget in two ways:

1. We can visit your location, and while your people will participate and contribute, JPR will gather the information, suggest resolutions to issues, tailor layout options.

2. JPR does not visit, but uses the internet to define your objectives and circumstances, then offers layout options of your processes in your building dimensions. This approach is especially useful if you are in another country or continent; or if your resources have time for the project but need the experienced guidance that JPR can provide. Since there is no travel, this option is faster and more cost effective.

Either way, JPR provides layout articles, action plans, suggestions, and to-do lists, for the project and which your own resources can utilize continually. The information also covers the move itself, after the ayout is complete.

Contact us to discuss how best to address your objectives; there's no cost or obligation.
Call Jack Greene at 626-375-2468 or email jack@jacksonproductivity.com

After all, what is a good layout for?

A good layout will simultaneously consider an organization�s business model and inventory control practices; operating processes, equipment and furnishings; inter-functional proximity relationships; operating space requirements by equipment; sales demand; production capacity and utilization by constraint; cycle time objectives, detailed product flow through the process; incoming, outgoing and in-process material storage; floor load limits and ceiling limitations, building, material handling and equipment dimensions; and future growth intentions. At least.

That is why layout is not just about fitting workstations into a building floor plan, because no two facilities or processes are the same. There will not be a template on the web, or a standard floor plan, that matches your situation.

The objective of most projects is to develop layout options for management to consider, probably to ask for further revision, to combine the good features from arrangements, and finally to generate a hybrid that provides the most effective result. Layouts will usually involve some compromise. In practice the chosen layout will have some very good points but perhaps flaws as well. Layout is an iterative process, and the result gets better as you progress.

Give it your best shot, get all the players to sign off, and don�t look back. When you see a better way, apply it next time. Good luck.