Operations Management: An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition

DESIGNING PRODUCT LAYOUTS

Recall that product layouts arrange resources in sequence so that the product can be made as efficiently as possible. This type of layout is used in repetitive processing systems that produce a large volume of one standardized product.

Product layouts are completely different from process layouts. In product layouts the material moves continuously and uniformly through a sequence of operations until the work is completed. The sequence of operations allows for the simultaneous performance of work. When designing product layouts, our objective is to decide on the sequence of tasks to be performed by each workstation. To accomplish this we need to consider the logical order of the tasks to be performed and the time required to perform each task. Also, we need to consider the speed of the production process, which will tell us how much time there is at each workstation to perform the assigned tasks. This entire process is called line balancing. Next we will go through the steps that must be followed in designing product layouts.

Line balancing

The process of assigning tasks to workstations in a product layout in order to achieve a desired output and balance the workload among stations.

Step 1: Identify Tasks and Their Immediate Predecessors

The first step in designing product layouts is to identify the tasks or work elements that must be performed in order ...