

The example of process layout includes hospitals, colleges and universities, banks, airlines and public libraries. Workers who operate the equipments are usually skilled or semi-skilled. The use of general purpose machines provides flexibility necessary to handle a wide range of processing requirements. These layouts, also known as “Functional Layout’ is process focused systems and are used widely in manufacturing and service sectors. Consequently, variable path material handling equipment is needed to handle variety of routes and items. Different products may cal for different processing requirements and different sequence of operations.

Items which require these operations are frequently moved in batches to the departments in a sequence dictated by technical considerations. For example, turning, milling, foundry, heat treatment. Similar equipments and operations are grouped together. The processing units are organized by functions into departments on the assumption that certain skills and facilities are available in each department. These layout are designed to facilitate processing items or providing services which present variations in their processing requirements. Overall supervision and control are effective. This also reduces congestion and ensures smooth flow of items in the shop floor. the investment in work-in-process is minimum because the items move quickly from operation to operation. Product layouts achieve a high degree of both labor and equipment utilization, and this offsets the high equipment costs. The work in-process and the material handling are minimum.įollowing conditions favor the selection of product layout. The raw materials enters at one end of the line and individual operations are performed in the pre-fixed sequence and get converted to the final shape. The work centers are arranged in the job sequence.

This layout is for product focused systems, and are popularly known as ‘ Assembly Line”. Because only one or few very similar items are involved, it is feasible to arrange an entire layout to correspond to the technological processing requirements of the product or service involved. The large volumes handled by these systems usually make it economical to invest substantial sums of money in equipment and in job design.
#Process layout example operation management series#
A job is divided into a series of standardized tasks, permitting specialization of both labor and equipment. This is made possible by highly standardized products or services which require highly standardized, repetitive processing operations. Product layout is used to achieve a smooth and rapid flow of large volumes of products or customers through a system.
