Integrate your manufacturing unit holistically with plant layout consulting What is plant layout? Plant layout basically refers to the physical arrangement done in the best possible way to arrange the equipment, machines and department. It is the functional and systematic way of arranging the resources in the allocated space. The objective behind it is to attain better coordination, efficiency and production. Proper plant layout is required in all types of organizations and industrial facilities. The movement of material and positioning of value added operations have a big impact on cost. Plant layout consultants possess experience in optimizing factories and distribution centers by using multiple techniques including material flow modeling, value stream mapping, Kaizen, continuous improvement programs among others. They have deep expertise in utilizing the latest technologies and best practices in manufacturing facilities. They understand how to leverage the intersection of people, process and technology to gain:
Optimize cost Minimum working capital Reduce lead times Ensure high quality levels
Group50’s plant layout consultants have years of lean manufacturing experience in optimizing distribution centers in companies such as GE, Black & Decker, Sunbeam, P&G and many others. They are project management experts and have the ability to work with their clients from start to finish. Their professionals provide training workshops for the various systems and skills levels required to effectively operate a newly designed factory, work cell or system. The best way to perform plant layout is through value stream mapping Value Stream Mapping The most in-depth way to look at the effectiveness of business, manufacturing and distribution processes is through a Value Stream Mapping (VSM) project. This project provides a clear view
of how various business processes are related to each other, assesses the need for those processes and how efficient they really are. During Value Stream Mapping, a model is created which shows how much time, effort and cost is required for a specific process. It is applicable to small functional processes, manufacturing processes such as order entry to cash or understanding the interdependencies of a global supply chain. Value Stream Mapping is as much about getting people to think about improving they own as it is about getting to the details of how a process really works and giving the organization the tools and skills to implement long term improvement. Different types of plant layout include:
Product or line layout Process or functional layout Fixed position or location layout Combined or group layout
Product or line layout This type of layout works best for the industries that involve repetitive assembly or continuous flow. In product layout, the materials and resources are arranged sequentially and move from one workstation to another in the form of a line. When a product has to be manufactured in large quantities, this type of layout is very much suitable. Raw materials are fed into the first machinery and then automatically move from one machine to another; making the output of one machine, the input for another. Process or functional layout In functional layout, the machinery used for carrying out the same kind of operations is placed at one place. This type of layout mostly works best for the companies that manufacture products in low volume or are custom-made. In this, the operations involving the similar function are grouped together and the work is allocated in a manner that no machinery has to perform a different task. Fixed position or location layout In fixed position layout, the products are manufactured at a fixed location. This type of layout works best for the manufacturing units that produce products that are too heavy or large to move. All the resources are placed near the work center itself. Combined or group layout
As the name suggests, this layout is a combination of all the three above mentioned types of layout. It is suitable for the manufacturing companies that produce products in larger quantities but in a non-continuous manner. Group50 provides training workshops for the various systems and skill levels required to effectively operate a newly designed factory, work cell or system. Each of their global business management consultants have 20+ years of corporate operating experience. They have experts in governance, manufacturing, distribution, purchasing, product management, quality systems, digital technology, product development, marketing, sales, engineering and finance. They serve a broad range of industries and clients, all of whom have supply chains and the need to focus on the intersection of people, process and technology. To find out more, talk to a plant layout consultant at Group50.
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