ABSTRACT
Facilities plans and decisions are made at several levels. This chapter introduces the concept of facilities planning phases. Each planning project can be said to move from some existing facilities or conditions to some future stage of development or desired conditions. The project is accomplished by proceeding logically through a sequence of planning phases. Each phase addresses a different level of planning and decision. Capacity decisions (preplanning) have the greatest influence on profit. Overall planning focuses primarily on form and the arrangement of facilities. It addresses major operating activities and key economic issues. Detailed planning focuses primarily on the position and placement of dimensioned objects to realize an overall concept or plan. Some of the largest US corporations, especially financial and service firms, have a subsidiary property management or real estate division which owns the company facilities and provides planning services to its “tenants.”
