Capacity Planning & Facility Location

PRJ

Learning Objectives

Define capacity planning Define location analysis Describe relationship between capacity planning and location, and their importance Explain the steps involved in capacity planning and location analysis

Learning Objectives continued

Describe the decision support tools used for capacity planning Identify key factors in location analysis Describe the decision support tools used for location analysis

Capacity planning

Capacity is the maximum output rate of a facility Capacity planning is the process of establishing the output rate that can be achieved at a facility: Capacity is usually purchased in chunks Strategic issues: how much and when to spend capital for additional facility & equipment Tactical issues: workforce & inventory levels, & day-to-day use of equipment

Measuring Capacity Examples

There is no one best way to measure capacity Output measures like kegs per day are easier to understand With multiple products, inputs measures work better
Type of Business Car manufacturer Hospital Pizza parlor Retail store Input Measures of Capacity Labor hours Available beds Labor hours Floor space in square feet Output Measures of Capacity Cars per shift Patients per month Pizzas per day Revenue per foot

Measuring Available Capacity

Design capacity:

Maximum output rate under ideal conditions A bakery can make 30 custom cakes per day when pushed at holiday time Maximum output rate under normal (realistic) conditions On the average this bakery can make 20 custom cakes per day

Effective capacity:

Calculating Capacity Utilization

Measures how much of the available capacity is actually being used:

actual output rate 100% Utilizatio n capacity

Measures effectiveness Use either effective or design capacity in denominator

Example of Computing Capacity Utilization: In the bakery example the design capacity is 30 custom cakes per day. Currently the bakery is producing 28 cakes per day. What is the bakerys capacity utilization relative to both design and effective capacity?

Utilization effective

actual output 28 (100%) (100%) 140% effective capacity 20

actual output 28 Utilization design (100%) (100%) 93% design capacity 30

The current utilization is only slightly below its design capacity and considerably above its effective capacity The bakery can only operate at this level for a short period of time

How Much Capacity Is Best?

The Best Operating Level is the output that results in the lowest average unit cost Economies of Scale:

Where the cost per unit of output drops as volume of output increases Spread the fixed costs of buildings & equipment over multiple units, allow bulk purchasing & handling of material Where the cost per unit rises as volume increases Often caused by congestion (overwhelming the process with too much work-in-process) and scheduling complexity

Diseconomies of Scale:

Best Operating Level and Size

Alternative 1: Purchase one large facility, requiring one large initial investment Alternative 2: Add capacity incrementally in smaller chunks as needed

Other Capacity Considerations

Focused factories:

Small, specialized facilities with limited objectives

Plant within a plant (PWP):

Segmenting larger operations into smaller operating units with focused objectives Outsource non-core items to free up capacity for what you do well

Subcontractor networks:

Making Capacity Planning Decisions

The three-step procedure for making capacity planning decisions is as follows:

Step 1: Identify Capacity Requirements

Step 2: Develop Capacity Alternatives Step 3: Evaluate Capacity Alternatives

Identifying capacity requirements

Long-term capacity requirements based on future demand

Identifying future demand based on forecasting Forecasting, at this level, relies on qualitative forecast models

Capacity cushions

Forecast and capacity decision must included strategic implications Plan to underutilize capacity to provide flexibility

Executive opinion Delphi method

Evaluating Capacity Alternatives

Capacity alternatives include

Could do nothing, expand large now (may included capacity cushion), or expand small now with option to add later

Evaluating Capacity Alternatives

Many tools exist to assist in evaluating alternatives Most popular tool is Decision Trees Decision Trees analysis tool is:

a modeling tool for evaluating sequential decisions which, identifies the alternatives at each point in time (decision points), estimate probable consequences of each decision (chance events) & the ultimate outcomes (e.g.: profit or loss)

Decision tree diagrams

Diagramming technique which uses

Decision points points in time when decisions are made, squares called nodes Decision alternatives branches of the tree off the decision nodes Chance events events that could affect a decision, branches or arrows leaving circular chance nodes Outcomes each possible alternative listed

Decision tree diagrams

Decision trees developed by

Drawing from left to right Use squares to indicate decision points Use circles to indicate chance events Write the probability of each chance by the chance (sum of associated chances = 100%) Write each alternative outcome in the right margin

Example Using Decision Trees: A restaurant owner has determined that she needs to expand her facility. The alternatives are to expand large now and risk smaller demand, or expand on a smaller scale now knowing that she might need to expand again in three years. Which alternative would be most attractive?

The likelihood of demand being high is .70 The likelihood of demand being low is .30 Large expansion yields profits of $300K(high dem.) or $50k(low dem.) Small expansion yields profits of $80K if demand is low Small expansion followed by high demand and later expansion yield a profit of $200K at that point. No expansion at that point yields profit of $150K

Evaluating the Decision Tree

Decision tree analysis utilizes expected value analysis (EVA) EVA is a weighted average of the chance events

Probability of occurrence * chance event outcome At decision point 2, choose to expand to maximize profits ($200,000 > $150,000) Calculate expected value of small expansion:

Refer to Figure 9-3

EVsmall = 0.30($80,000) + 0.70($200,000) = $164,000

Evaluating the Decision Tree continued

Calculate expected value of large expansion:

EVlarge = 0.30($50,000) + 0.70($300,000) =

$225,000

At decision point 1, compare alternatives & choose the large expansion to maximize the expected profit:

$225,000 > $164,000

Choose large expansion despite the fact that there is a 30% chance its the worst decision:

Take the calculated risk!

Location Analysis

Three most important factors in real estate:

1. 2.

3.

Location Location Location

Facility location is the process of identifying the best geographic location for a service or production facility

Factors Affecting Location Decisions

Proximity to source of supply:

Reduce transportation costs of perishable or bulky raw materials

Proximity to customers:

E.g.: high population areas, close to JIT partners

Local wage rates, attitude toward unions, availability of special skills (e.g.: silicon valley)

Proximity to labor:

More Location Factors

Community considerations:

Local communitys attitude toward the facility (e.g.: prisons, utility plants, etc.)

Site considerations:

Local zoning & taxes, access to utilities, etc.

Climate, cultural attractions, commuting time, etc. Options for future expansion, local competition, etc.

Quality-of-life issues:

Other considerations:

Globalization - Should Firm Go Global?

Globalization is the process of locating facilities around the world Potential advantages:

Inside track to foreign markets, avoid trade barriers, gain access to cheaper labor Political risks may increase, loss of control of proprietary technology, local infrastructure (roads & utilities) may be inadequate, high inflation Language barriers, different laws & regulations, different business cultures

Potential disadvantages:

Other issues:

Making Location Decisions

Analysis should follow 3 step process:

Step 1: Identify dominant location factors Step 2: Develop location alternatives Step 3: Evaluate locations alternatives

Procedures for evaluation location alternatives include

Factor rating method Load-distance model Center of gravity approach Break-even analysis Transportation method

Factor Rating Example

A Load-Distance Model Example: Matrix Manufacturing is considering where to locate its warehouse in order to service its four Ohio stores located in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton. Two sites are being considered; Mansfield and Springfield, Ohio. Use the load-distance model to make the decision.

Calculate the rectilinear distance: dAB 30 10 40 15 45 miles

Multiply by the number of loads between each site and the four cities

Calculating the Load-Distance Score for Springfield vs. Mansfield

Computing the Load-Distance Score for Springfield City Load Distance ld Cleveland 15 20.5 307.5 Columbus 10 4.5 45 Cincinnati 12 7.5 90 Dayton 4 3.5 14 Total Load-Distance Score(456.5) Computing the Load-Distance Score for Mansfield City Load Distance ld Cleveland 15 8 120 Columbus 10 8 80 Cincinnati 12 20 240 Dayton 4 16 64 Total Load-Distance Score(504)

The load-distance score for Mansfield is higher than for Springfield. The warehouse should be located in Springfield.

The Center of Gravity Approach

This approach requires that the analyst find the center of gravity of the geographic area being considered
Computing the Center of Gravity for Matrix Manufacturing
Coordinates Load

Location
Cleveland Columbus Cincinnati Dayton Total

(X,Y) (11,22) (10,7) (4,1) (3,6)

(li) 15 10 12 4 41

lixi 165 165 165 165 325

liyi 330 70 12 24 436

Computing the Center of Gravity for Matrix Manufacturing liXi 325 liYi 436 Xc.g. 7.9 ; Yc.g. 10.6 li 41 li 41
Is there another possible warehouse location closer to the C.G. that should be considered?? Why?

Break-Even Analysis

Break-even analysis computes the amount of goods required to be sold to just cover costs Break-even analysis includes fixed and variable costs Break-even analysis can be used for location analysis especially when the costs of each location are known

Step 1: For each location, determine the fixed and variable costs Step 2: Plot the total costs for each location on one graph Step 3: Identify ranges of output for which each location has the lowest total cost Step 4: Solve algebraically for the break-even points over the identified ranges

Break-Even Analysis

Remember the break even equations used for calculation total cost of each location and for calculating the breakeven quantity Q. Total cost = F + cQ

Total revenue = pQ Break-even is where Total Revenue = Total Cost Q = F/(p-c)

Q = break-even quantity p = price/unit c = variable cost/unit F = fixed cost

Example using Break-even Analysis: Clean-Clothes Cleaners is considering four possible sites for its new operation. They expect to clean 10,000 garments. The table and graph below are used for the analysis.

Example 9.6 Using Break-Even Analysis Location Fixed Cost Variable Cost Total Cost A $350,000 $ 5(10,000) $400,000 B $170,000 $25(10,000) $420,000 C $100,000 $40(10,000) $500,000 D $250,000 $20(10,000) $450,000

From the graph you can see that the two lowest cost intersections occur between C & B (4667 units) and B & A (9000 units) The best alternative up to 4667 units is C, between 4667 and 9000 units the best is B, and above 9000 units the best site is A

The Transportation Method

The transportation method of linear programming can be used to solve specific location problems It is discussed in detail in the supplement to this text It could be used to evaluate the cost impact of adding potential location sites to the network of existing facilities It could also be used to evaluate adding multiple new sites or completely redesigning the network

Capacity Planning and Facility Location Across the Organization

Capacity planning and location analysis affect operations management and are important to many others

Finance provides input to finalize capacity decisions Marketing impacted by the organizational capacity and location to customers

Highlights

Capacity planning is deciding on the maximum output rate of a facility Location analysis is deciding on the best location for a facility Capacity planning and location analysis decision are often made simultaneously because the location of the facility is usually related to its capacity. When a business decides to expand, it usually also addresses the issue of where to locate. These decisions are very important because they require long-term investments in buildings and facilities, as well as a sizable financial outlay.

Highlights - continued

In both capacity planning and location analysis, managers must follow three-step process to make good decision. The steps are assessing needs, developing alternatives, and evaluating alternatives. To choose between capacity planning alternatives managers may sue decision trees, which are a modeling tool for evaluating independent decisions that must be made in sequence.

Highlights - continued

Key factors in location analysis included proximity to customers, transportation, source of labor, community attitude, and proximity to supplies. Service and manufacturing firms focus on different factors. Profit-making and nonprofit organizations also focus on different factors.

Highlights - continued

Several tools can be sued to facilitate location analysis. Factor rating is a tool that helps managers evaluate qualitative factors. The loaddistance model and center of gravity approach evaluate the location decision based on distance. Break-even analysis is sued to evaluate location decisions based on cost values. The transportation method is an excellent tool for evaluating the cost impact of adding sites to the network of current facilities.