ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses several issues related to design, modeling, and analysis of flexible factory layouts. It presents a framework for defining and identifying sources of layout flexibility and for mapping different dimensions of flexibility to specific layout configurations. The chapter utilizes this framework to develop several potential measures of layout flexibility and compare the usefulness and limitations of each. It examines the relationship between factory layout and material handling and show that the realization of layout flexibility largely depends on the configuration of the material handling system. The chapter also presents an integrated procedure for flexible layout design in stochastic environments. It also utilizes the procedure to highlight the desirability of disaggregating functional departments into smaller subdepartments and distribute them throughout the factory floor. The chapter shows that increased disaggregation and distribution can be effective in enhancing a layout’s ability to cope with variability.
