This is not a trivial question. The facility layout impacts on you Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in different ways. There is no such a thing like a layout that fits every facility.

Indeed, different products require different processes and, depending on the product mix and Capital Expenditure required, one solution can be better of another.

In this course we aim to provide the practitioner the basics to identify and select the most appropriate strategy based on the following criteria:

• Essentials: factors which must be present for each type of facility.
• Enablers: factors which should be present
• Operators: how people typically work in such a layout
• Inventory/buffering: where it may be required
• Production planning and control: suitable planning mechanisms for dealing with changes in demand and suitable shopfloor control mechanisms

Moreover, in Lesson 5 the concept of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems will be introduced and some technologies to make a layout more flexible will be described.
Finally, in Lesson 6 some digital tools to support the design of a proper layout will be presented.