Q6.

List and explain the different flow patterns we use in a

manufacturing company. Also highlight the criteria to be followed
for selecting a particular flow pattern.
Facility layout and design is an important component of a business's overall
operations, both in terms of maximizing the effectiveness of the production
process and meeting the needs of employees. The basic objective of layout
is to ensure a smooth flow of work, material, and information through a
system. The basic meaning of facility is the space in which a business's
activities take place. The layout and design of that space impact greatly how
the work is donethe flow of work, materials, and information through the
system. The key to good facility layout and design is the integration of the
needs of people (personnel and customers), materials (raw, finishes, and in
process), and machinery in such a way that they create a single, wellfunctioning system.
The facility design should reflect a recognition of the importance of smooth
process flow. In the case of factory facilities, the editors ofHow to Run a
Small Business state that "ideally, the plan will show the raw materials
entering your plant at one end and the finished product emerging at the
other. The flow need not be a straight line. Parallel flows, U-shaped patterns,
or even a zig-zag that ends up with the finished product back at the shipping
and receiving bays can be functional. However, backtracking is to be
avoided in whatever pattern is chosen. When parts and materials move
against or across the overall flow, personnel and paperwork become
confused, parts become lost, and the attainment of coordination becomes
complicated."
Planning effective flow involves combining the flow patterns with adequate aisles to obtain a
progressive movement from origination to destination. Effective flow within a facility includes
the progressive movement of materials, information, or people between departments.
Effective flow within a department involves the progressive movement of materials,
information, or people between workstations. Effective flow within a workstation addresses
the progressive movement of materials, information, or people through the workstation.

Flow Patterns
Patterns of flow may be viewed from the perspective of flow within
workstations, within departments, and between departments.

Flow Within Workstations

Motion studies and ergonomics considerations are important in establishing
the flow within workstations. For example, flow within a workstation should
be simultaneous, symmetrical, natural, rhythmical, and habitual.

Flow Within Departments

The flow pattern within departments is dependent on the type of
department. In a product and/or product family department, the flow of work
follows the product flow
End-to-end, back-to-back, and odd-angle flow patterns are indicative of product departments
where one operator works at each workstation. Front-to-front flow patterns are used when one
operator works on two workstations and circular flow patterns are used when one operator
works on more than two workstations.

In a process department, little flow should occur between workstations within departments.
Flow typically occurs between workstations and aisles. Flow patterns are dictated by the
orientation of the workstations to the aisles.

Diagonal flow patterns are typically used in conjunction with one-way aisles. Aisles that
support diagonal flow pattern often require less space than aisles with either parallel or
perpendicular workstation-aisle arrangements. However, one-way aisles also result in less
flexibility. Therefore, diagonal flow patterns are not utilized often.

Flow Between Departments

Flow typically consists of a combination of the four general flow patterns shown in figure 3.

An important consideration in combining the flow patterns shown in figure 3 is the location of
the entrance and exit. As a result of the plot plan or building construction, the location of the
entrance (receiving department) and exit (shipping department) is often fixed at a given
location and flow within the facility conform to these restrictions. A few examples of how flow
within a facility may be planned to conform to entrance and exit restrictions are given in
figure 4.

For criteria to be followed for selwecting a particular flow pattern imp is no back
tracking and then write abt that what layout we have so what we will do according to
the above answer.
The principle of minimizing flow represents the work simplification approach to material flow.
The work simplification approach to material flow includes:
1. Eliminating flow by planning for the delivery of materials, information, or people directly to
the point of ultimate use and eliminate intermediate steps.
2. Minimizing multiple flows by planning for the flow between two consecutive points of use
to take place in as few moments as possible, preferably one.
3. Combining flows and operations wherever possible by planning for the movement of
materials, information, or people to be combined with a processing step.
The principle of minimizing the cost of flow may be viewed from either of the following two
perspectives
. 1. Minimize manual handling by minimizing walking, manual travel distances, and motions.
2. Eliminate manual handling by mechanizing or automating flow to allow workers to spend
full time on their assigned tasks.

Q7. List and explain different techniques for measuring the

intensity of traffic existing between different machines or
different departments within manufacturing facility.
The construction of form to chart Is the subset of this question.

Q8. What are the different steps involved in constructing

a from-to chart?
Flow among departments is one of the most important factors in the arrangement of
departments within a facility. To evaluate alternative arrangements, a measure of flow must
be established. Flows may be specified
Quantitatively in terms of pieces per hour, moves per day, pr pounds per week. (From to
chart)
Qualitatively in terms of an absolute necessity that two departments be close to each other
or a preference that two departments not to be close to each other.

Flows may be measured quantitatively in terms of the amount moved between departments.
The chart most often used to record these flows is a from-to chart. It is similar to mileage
chart

The from-to chart is a square matrix, but is seldom symmetric. The lack of symmetry is
because there is no definite reason for the flows from stores to milling to be the same as the
flows from milling to stores. A from-to chart is constructed as follows:
1. List all departments down the row and across the column following the overall flow pattern.
For example figure 11 shows various flow patterns that result in the departments being listed
as in figure 10

2. Establish a measure of flow for the facility that accurately indicates equivalent flow
volumes.
3. Based on the flow paths for the items to be moved and the established measure of flow,
record the flow volumes in the from-to chart.

Example
A firm produces three components. Components 1 and 2 have the same size and weight and
are equivalent with respect to movement. Component 3 is almost twice as large and moving
two units of either component 1 or 2 is equivalent to moving 1 unit of component 3. The
departments included in the facility are A, B, C, D, and E. the overall flow path is A-B-C-D-E.

Component
1
2
3

Production quantites per Routing

day
30
A-C-B-D-E
12
A-B-D-E
7
A-C-D-B-E

In the above from-to chart, the circled numbers represent component numbers and the
number of following the circled numbers indicate the volume of equivalent flows for the
component.
Notice that flow volumes below the diagonal represent backtracking and the closer the flow
volumes are to the main diagonal, the shorter will be the move in the facility.

Qualitative Flow Measurement

Flows may be measured qualitatively using the closeness relationships values developed by
Muther and given in table

A relationship chart may be constructed as follows:

1. List all departments on the relationship chart.
2. Conduct interviews or surveys with persons from each department listed on the relationship
chart and with the management responsible for all departments.
3. Define the criteria for assigning closeness relationships and itemize and record the criteria
as the reasons for relationship values on the relationship chart.
4. Establish the relationship value and the reason for the value for all pairs of departments.
5. Allow everyone having input to the development of the relationship chart to have an
opportunity to evaluate and discuss changes in the chart. The values may be recorded in
conjunction with the reasons for the closeness value using relationship chart given in figure
12.

Q9. Differentiate between Qualitative flow process

assessment and Quantitative flow process assessment
Explain the above construction
difference between line

only.

Kiran

doesnt

need

Cant find difference anywhere if asked leave it in the options.

Quatitative data are anything that can be expressed as a number, orquantified. Examples of
quantitative data are scores on achievement tests,number of hours of study, or weight of a
subject. These data may berepresented by ordinal, interval or ratio scales and lend themselves to
moststatistical manipulation.
Qualitative data cannot be expressed as a number. Data thatrepresent nominal scales such as
gender, socieo economic status, religiouspreference are usually considered to be qualitative data.
Both types of data are validtypes of measurement, and both are used in education journals. Only
quantitative datacan be analyzed statistically, and thus more rigorous assessments of the dataare
possible.

Q10. List and explain various elements of supply chain.

A supply chain consists of the flow of products and services from:

Raw materials manufacturers

Intermediate products manufacturers

End product manufacturers

Wholesalers and distributors and

Retailers

Supply chain includes all the entities ( Company, Raw material suppliers, transporting
companies, Employees, Bankers, Insurance companies, warehouse, sub-contractors,
etc.) from supplier of the raw material to the Customer
IMP elements of supplu chain management
Purchasing-

Supplier alliances, supplier management, strategic sourcing

Operations-

Demand management, MRP, ERP, JIT, TQM

DistributionTransportation management, customer relationship management,

network design, service response logistics
IntegrationCoordination/Integration
performance measurement

activities,

global

integration

problems,

Purchasing- Trends:

Long term relationships

Supplier management- improve performance through-

Supplier evaluation (determining supplier capabilities)

Supplier certification (third party or internal certification to assure

product quality and service requirements)

Strategic partnerships- successful and trusting relationships with topperforming suppliers

Operations- Trends:

Demand management- match demand to available capacity

Linking buyers & suppliers via MRP and ERP systems

Use JIT to improve the pull of materials to reduce inventory levels

Employ TQM to improve quality compliance among suppliers

Distribution- Trends:

Transportation management- tradeoff decisions between cost & timing

of delivery/customer service via trucks, rail, water & air

Customer relationship management- strategies to ensure deliveries,

resolve complaints, improve communications, & determine service
requirements

Network design- creating distribution networks based on tradeoff

decisions between cost & sophistication of distribution system

Integration Trends:

Supply Chain Integration- when supply chain participants work for

common goals. Requires intrafirm functional integration. Based on efforts
to change attitudes & adversarial relationships

Global Supply Chains- advantages that accrue from sourcing from

larger global market e.g., lower cost & higher quality suppliers. May
involve operating exposure, which is risk found in foreign settings

Supply Chain Performance Measurement- Crucial for firms to know if

procedures are working

Q11 Explain how visibility will help in supply chian excellence

A11) Visibility brings in light to all the links/elements of the supply

chain.
Helps in understanding the role of different
departments/links/elements.
Visibility requires sharing information (software/technology) with all
the entities of supply chain.
With visibility as the key driver for an effective supply chain
improvement strategy, businesses today must rely on building
collaborative relationships in their extended supply chains to gain
visibility from end-to-end.
To build more powerful relationships, extending across a critical
mass of trading partners, companies need to utilize a robust
platform like a supply chain operating network, which leads to
increased visibility for continuous improvements in company
performance, agility, and differentiation.
Supply chain executives identify improving visibility as their number
one priority. They overwhelmingly desire better transparency to
orders, inventory and shipments across their extended supply chain.
Visibility leaders have deployed visibility software with crossfunctional access, and they are achieving better results than their
peers across key metrics
In theory, visibility leads to a host of benefits: saving money,
reducing inventory, increasing turns, boosting customer satisfaction,
lowering risk, enhancing compliance, streamlining transportation,
and enabling agility and resiliency.

According to Jeff Dobbs, Global Sector Chair, Diversified Industrials and a partner with KPMG,
obtaining real-time visibility across all tiers in the supply chain can significantly increase
speed to market, reduce capital expenditures and manage risk. He went on to make this
profound statement, moving toward a demand-driven supply chain is probably the single
most important step a global manufacturer can take today.
Yet, most organizations dont have visibility of key supply and demand data for more than one
tier up or down from their own position.
In the ideal world of a demand-driven supply chain, flow of product to the end customer and
from the furthest upstream supplier, is synchronized to provide a smooth and efficient flow of
material. In this ideal, the supply chain is also responsive to variations of demand.
The goal of supply chain visibility is to:
1. Reduce business and supply chain risk
2. Improve lead times and performance
3. Identify shortage and quality problems along the supply chain

There was a time when most companies supply chains were linear and lean. A handful of
specialists and a good Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system could make sure that products
were manufactured and delivered efficiently to customers.
Those days are over.
Globalization, competition and growing complexities in the marketplace have made it more difficult
for companies to get a handle on their ever-expanding supplier networks. Clear visibility to your
entire supply chain is challenging but also more critical today than ever before. Here are five
reasons why:

Supply Chains are Bigger and more Complex

Today, manufacturing companies may conduct as much as 80% of their supplier network activity
outside of their four walls. Many of these companies operate on a global scale, using various
shipping modes to serve customers worldwide. A recent study by the United Kingdom-based
Cranfield University for Logistics and Supply Chain Management identified 52 pieces of data that
need to flow across a supply chain. A traditional ERP or Supply Chain Management (SCM) system
is not up to the task of managing so much information.
Your company may not have to deal with global supply and demand. However, chances are good
that your supply chain is becoming more extensive and complex. Communication and the ability to
make quick, informed decisions can be a challenge. Your best solution to gaining visibility may be
to invest in cloud technology capable of managing big data, or to work with a logistics company
that specializes in transportation management.

Customers Want Better, Faster Service

An expanding, increasingly competitive marketplace means customers have more options today
than in the past. Many of them face their own competitive pressures. If they do not already, your
customers are going to expect shorter cycle times and will be less tolerant of late deliveries or
mistakes. In a recent study by consulting firm Deloitte, 40% of company executives interviewed
said sudden demand changes from their customers cause the greatest expense and disruption
to their supply chains.
To meet these demands, you need a transparent, more efficient supply chain and a better flow of
information. A system that provides a single view of the supply chain will help develop more
consistency in identifying SKUs, measuring units and enforcing timelines. Without this kind of
visibility, different points of your supplier network become silos. Communication breaks down,
orders go unfilled and impatient customers begin exploring other options.

There are More Regulatory Demands

Supply chain visibility tools may seem expensive, but they can be a wise investment. One reason:
visibility helps you track the constantly changing landscape of government regulations and
compliance. Regardless of the industry you are in, chances are that the amount of government
oversight has increased in recent years. If you also export your products, you are familiar with the
complexity of trade agreements and government tariffs.
Your transportation is also becoming more regulated. Bodies like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency are imposing more rules on trucking
companies, leading to fewer carriers and higher rates. In addition to technology that provides full
visibility to your supply chain, you need experts who can anticipate and respond to new
regulations in your industry and in transportation. Combined, these tools will help your company
operate more efficiently and gain an edge on your competitors.

You Need to Cut Costs and Reduce Risk

Supply chain visibility gives you a better handle on your materials, inventory and transportation. It
also may allow you to eliminate middlemen and spot inefficiencies in your network. Most
companies that use transportation management software (TMS), along with qualified specialists,
see a reduction in their transportation spending. According to a recent survey by Supply Chain
Insights LLC, 70% of companies that acquired supply chain visibility solutions saw a return on that
investment within 13 months.

By making informed decisions about eliminating bottlenecks and inefficiencies, you are also
reducing the risks that something will go wrong. In fact, enhanced clarity in your supply chain
should lead to fewer mistakes, missed deadlines and damaged deliveries.

Forecasting is Crucial to Your Business

With visibility comes knowledge. But knowledge alone does not create action. Information-sharing,
analysis, collaboration and decision-making are vital to getting the most from supply chain
visibility. You need a team that can dissect information, communicate with suppliers and business
partners, and model different outcomes. This analytical approach to data will not only improve your
supply chain performance today, it will help you anticipate the future.
As you build up more information and continue to improve the supply chain, your demand
forecasting and business planning will improve as well. You can save money by reducing inventory
when demand is expected to be low, improve your on-time deliveries and respond more quickly to
potential issues.

Q12) List and explain different activities of facility planning by using a suitable
example.

A12)

FACILITIES PLANNING SIGNIFICANCE:

Helps in increasing productivity

 Reducing costs
Employee health & safety
Energy conservation
Fire protection and security
Factors affecting facilities design:
1 Product Design
2 Process Design
3 Schedule design
1 Product Design: Product design involves activities like What product is to be produced?
Detail design of individual components
Based on input from:
Marketing
Manufacturing
Finance
Etc.
Most of the time final decisions are made by the top management
2 Process Design: Process designer is responsible for determining
how the product is to be produced? (Make or Buy Decisions).
Types of Process Planning Manual and Computer Aided Process Planning (CAPP)
CAPP is used for process design
In manufacturing, the goal is to produce components that meet the design
specifications. The design specification ensures the functionality aspect. Next step to
follow is to assemble these components into final product.
Process planning acts as a bridge between design and manufacturing by translating
design specification into manufacturing process detail.
Hence, in general, process planning is a production organization activity that
transforms a product design into a set of instruction (sequence, machine tool setup
etc.) to manufacture machined part economically and competitively.

3 Schedule Design: Schedule design provides answers to questions

involving:
Production quantity - lot size decisions

When to produce - production scheduling

How long to produce

1
2
3
4
5
6

Schedule design decisions impact machine selection, number of

machines, number of shifts, number of employees, space
requirements, storage equipment, material handling
equipment, personnel requirements, storage policies, unit load
design, building size, etc.
We design facilities for major parts and operations
Following are the things we need to know to start designing our
facilities :
Number of products demanded by the market
Number of products to be produced
Number of machines required
Number of employees required
Sequence of operations
Relationships between departments
Further,we head towards Facility systems design.
Facility systems design:
Structural systems, enclosure systems,atmospheric systems,
electrical and lighting systems, communication system, life
safety systems, sanitation system, etc.
What systems are required
Where they are required
Integrating the systems into the overall facility
Now further in sub branching, We move towards the facilty layout
Facility layout:

Layout for production areas and production-related and

support areas
Consists of all equipment, machinery and furnishing within the
building envelope
Types of layouts are:
1 Product oriented plant layout : a product layout refers to a
production system where the work stations and equipment are
located along the line of production, as with the product.

 Advantages:
Reduced material handling activities.
Work In Process almost eliminated.
Minimum manufacturing time.
Simplification of the production planning and control systems.
Tasks simplification.
Disadvantages:
No flexibility in the production process.
Low flexibility in the manufacturing times.
High capital investment.
Every workstation is critical to the process.- The lack of personnel or shut
down of a machine stops the whole process.
Monotonous work.

2 Process oriented plant layout : Process layout is a design for the floor plan of a plant
which aims to improve efficiency by arranging equipment according to its function.
Advantages
Variety of products can be produced
Better utilization of machines
reduction of distance and material handling costs
Main disadvantages of this layout:
Low material handling efficiency when comparing to a plant layout
oriented to the product.
Low production volume
Scheduling is difficult.
3 Fixed Position layout: In a fixed position layout, personnel,
supplies, and equipment are brought to the site where the product
will be assembled, rather than the product being moved through an
assembly line or set of assembly stations.

Advantages Production of Large and bulky product is possible

Disadvantages Low production volume
Low product variety
4 (Answer no.14 too)Cellular Layout/Group technology
layout/Manufacturing cell layout:
Cellular layout is a type of layout where machines are grouped
according to the process requirements for a set of similar items (part
families) that require similar processing. These groups are called
cells. Therefore, a cellular layout is an equipment layout configured
to support cellular manufacturing.
Processes are grouped into cells using a technique known as group
technology (GT). Group technology involves identifying parts with
similar design characteristics (size, shape, and function) and similar
process characteristics (type of processing required, available
machinery that performs this type of process, and processing
sequence).
Workers in cellular layouts are cross-trained so that they can operate
all the equipment within the cell and take responsibility for its
output. Sometimes the cells feed into an assembly line that
produces the final product. In some cases a cell is formed by
dedicating certain equipment to the production of a family of parts
without actually moving the equipment into a physical cell (these are
called virtual or nominal cells). In this way, the firm avoids the
burden of rearranging its current layout. However, physical cells are
more common.
An automated version of cellular manufacturing is the flexible
manufacturing system (FMS). With an FMS, a computer controls the
transfer of parts to the various processes, enabling manufacturers to
achieve some of the benefits of product layouts while maintaining
the flexibility of small batch production.
Some of the advantages of cellular manufacturing include:
Cost. Cellular manufacturing provides for faster processing time, less material
handling, less work-in-process inventory, and reduced setup time, all of which reduce
costs.
Flexibility. Cellular manufacturing allows for the production of small batches, which
provides some degree of increased flexibility. This aspect is greatly enhanced with
FMSs.

 Motivation. Since workers are cross-trained to run every machine in the cell, boredom
is less of a factor. Also, since workers are responsible for their cells' output,
more autonomy and job ownership is present.
Similar components, having medium demand, belonging to a
product family can be produced economically
Disadvantages Medium Production volumes
Medium Product Variety
Handling System Design:
The mechanisms needed to satisfy the required facility
interactions
It consists of materials, personnel, information and equipmenthandling systems required to support production
Receiving, storing, retrieval, transporting,packaging and shipping,
postal system, personnel transit system
13)List and explain different factors affecting facility design.
A13)Refer A12.
14) List and explain advantages of group technology/manufacturing cell/cellular layout.
A14)Refer A12.
15)Explain scope of facility planning.

Q16 List and

excellence.

explain

the

levels

of

supply

chain

supply chain excellence can be achieved in six levels Business as usual

Link Excellence
Visibility
Collaboration
Synthesis
Velocity

Business as usual

Business as usual means to maximize individual departments ( e.g.

Marketing, R&D, Manufacturing, etc.) effectiveness.

Where the focus is on achieving or meeting departmental goals.

Example :

Manufacturing Dept.- To manufacture 100 cars in a month

Sales Dept. To sell 50 bikes in a month.

Link Excellence

All departments working together as a team to meet organizational goals.

Example : An Organization goal can be to make a profit of Rs.23 crores in Q1 of

2014.

Visibility
Visibility brings in light to all the links/elements of the supply
chain.
Helps
in
understanding
departments/links/elements.

the

role

of

different

Visibility requires sharing information (software/technology) with all

the entities of supply chain.

Collaboration

Collaboration helps in meeting the demand of the market place.

Collaboration requires right partnerships and use of proper

technologies.

Helps in maximizing
inventories.

customer

satisfaction

and

minimizing

Synthesis

Synthesis means continuous improvement.

Synthesis is a unification process.

Synthesis gives raise to improved customer satisfaction, supply chain

integration (through partnerships) and cost reduction.

Velocity

Velocity is the synthesis at a great speed

Todays business demand speed

Customers expect their products to arrive quickly