Question Tag: Product Layout

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  • 10 Marks

BMIS – July 2023 – Q4b – Operations strategy

List and explain five advantages of a product layout in manufacturing.

Product layout is a production layout used for manufacturers who produce large volumes of goods to ensure smooth rapid flow of production. Required: Highlight FIVE (5) advantages of a product layout.

  • High Rate of Output: Increased rate of output due to minimal movement away from the product.
  • Low Unit Cost: Low unit cost per product as the high volume and high cost of specialised equipment are distributed.
  • Reduced Training Costs: Lower training costs due to labour specialisation, which reduces the time and money spent on training.
  • Reduced Material Handling: Simplified material handling as units follow the same sequence of operations, lowering material handling costs.
  • Routing and Scheduling: Establishment of routing and scheduling in the initial design, requiring less attention once the system is operational. Routine support services such as accounting, purchasing, and inventory are also fairly routine.
  • 20 Marks

BMIS – Nov 2015 – L1 – Q6 – Operations strategy

Explain different types of operation layouts, including fixed-position, process, and product layouts.

The layout of an operation is concerned with the physical location of its transforming resources. It concerns the decision to put all the facilities, machines, equipment, and staff into the operation. After the process type has been selected, the basic layout type needs to be selected.

Required:
Explain the following; giving an example each:
a) Fixed-position layout. (7 marks)
b) Process layout. (6 marks)
c) Product layout. (7 marks)

a) Fixed-position Layout:
Fixed-position layout is the type of layout where the product being manufactured remains fixed at a given place, and materials, people, and equipment in the transformation process are transported to it. This is necessary because the product is too large, too delicate, or otherwise impractical to move.
Examples:

  • Monitoring construction: The product (e.g., a building) is too large to move.
  • Open-heart surgery: The patient is too delicate to move. (7 Marks)

b) Process Layout:
Process layout is so named because the needs and convenience of the transforming resources, which constitute the processes in the operation, dominate the layout decision. Similar processes (or processes with similar needs) are located together for efficiency. Products or customers will take different routes through the operation based on their specific needs.
Examples:

  • Hospital: Some processes, like X-ray machines and laboratories, are required by various types of patients.
  • Supermarket: Some processes, such as areas holding tinned vegetables, are convenient to restock if grouped together. (6 Marks)

c) Product Layout:
Product layout (sometimes called line-flow layout) refers to the type of layout in which workstations or departments are arranged in a linear path. The customer or product flows in a smooth, continuous flow, with resources arranged around the customer’s or product’s route. The key feature is that resources are placed to maximize product flow, typically seen in assembly lines.
Examples:

  • Vehicle assembly: Most variants of the same model require the same sequence of processes.
  • Self-Service Cafeteria: Generally, the sequence of customers’ requirements is common to all customers, and the layout helps control customer flow. (7 Marks)

Total: 20 Marks

  • 8 Marks

BMIS – May 2021 – L1 – Q2a – Operations strategy

Explain the concepts of Total Quality Management, Fixed Position Layout, Product Layout, and Process Layout in plant operations.

Plant layout has been described as the arrangement of machines in such a manner that will facilitate production efficiency. An organization might adopt a particular method or a combination of methods depending on the nature of its operations.

Required:
Explain the following:
i) Total quality management (2 marks)
ii) Fixed position layout (2 marks)
iii) Product layout (2 marks)
iv) Process layout (2 marks)

i) Total Quality Management: Total quality management (TQM) is a management philosophy that continuously emphasizes managing the entire organization to improve product and service quality. It is an organized, organization-wide activity involving all employees.
(2 marks)

ii) Fixed Position Layout: This is the type of layout where the product being manufactured remains fixed at a particular place, and workers and materials are transported to that location. This is because the product is too large or fragile to be moved after production.
(2 marks)

iii) Product Layout: Also called line-flow layout, this method refers to the layout in which workstations are arranged in such a way that each product or service follows a path that is pre-determined by the product’s processing requirements. The main feature of this method is that resources are placed to maximize product flow.
(2 marks)

iv) Process Layout: With this layout, identical processes are located together. It is convenient for the operation to group them together or to improve the use of transforming resources. This means that when products, information, or customers flow through the operation, they take a route from process to process according to their needs.
(2 marks)

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