Types of layout organization

Table of Contents

Layout , also called plant layout, refers to the arrangement of machine or plant components, storage areas, workstations, common spaces and hallways that are part of a production or manufacturing facility . a company.

It is a strategic aspect for all types of companies, whether services or manufacturing.

The plant distribution or layout is also defined by assigning tasks to all the elements that are considered productive in a company. For this reason, it is a decision-making process that will involve the assignment and distribution of actions and tasks for productive resources.

Types of Layout Organization

Functional or process layout

This is a very common type of distribution in batch or artisanal production procedures.

This type of organization is made up of the functional grouping of each of the productive components such as human capital, machinery and tools that are grouped around the procedure.

For this reason, it is the most convenient option for a high-variety, low-volume process. In summary, this type of layout will be preferred when the procedure continues with the production of different types of products intermittently or when it is necessary to take orders from various users with different needs.

Layout by fixed position

It is done when the service or product, due to its characteristics or nature, is always fixed and the human team or machinery is the one that must move to where it is located. This situation can be seen in plants that have large-scale products such as the assembly of airplanes, construction of a highway, ships, etc.

Manufacturing cell or cellular layout

It is a kind of hybrid plant layout of layout by product and layout by procedure. This means that it reorganizes teams and people that are usually dispersed in different departments of the company and places them in work groups with the purpose of focusing their manufacturing on products or groups of products that have similar characteristics.

The cellular layout is used mostly when volume justifies a special composition of employees or machinery, as may be the case in the assembly of a specific product model. This type of layout is also granted from the point of view of the worker, in which a single worker organizes the manipulation and management of different tools throughout the production procedure.

Layout by assembly line or by product

It is based on the operational sequence that is carried out in the provision of a product or the manufacture of a service. This type of layout is the one most used in repetitive or continuous production processes. For this reason, they are used in low-variety, high-volume procedures. This type of plant layout involves parts, products, customers and information that are guided by a predefined route and require the same sequence of activities. Departments and workstations are available in a linear path.

Goals

The layout approach is intended to solve needs and problems in the following areas:

Improve the use of machinery, people and space.
Optimize the flow of people and material data.
Maximize employee safety and community.
Improve interaction with customers.
Gain flexibility to adapt to changes in structure.

Areas of Influence

The layout is a strategic position in which different objectives can be obtained in decision-making, which are: reception, unloading and loading area, order preparation, shipping and storage.

Types of layout organization