1. c: Flow Process Chart This chart uses circles for operations,
arrows for transports,
squares for inspections,
triangles for storage,
and the letter D for delays.
Vertical lines connect these symbols in the sequence they are performed.

2. d: Multi-Product Process Chart
This chart is a flow process chart containing several products.
Five products: A, B,….E
Start and end are circled shaded

3. e: Flow Diagram
It depicts the probable movement of materials in the floor plant.
The movement is represented by a line in the plant drawing.

4. f: From-To Chart
This chart is a matrix that contains numbers representing a measure (units, unit loads, etc.) of the material flow between machines, departments, buildings, etc.
For example from stores to Saw 500

5. 3: Flow Patterns
Three types of pattern flow
Flow within workstation
Flow within departments
Flow between departments
Motion studies and ergonomics considerations are important in establishing flow within workstations.
Ergonomics is an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely -- called also biotechnology, human engineering, human factors
For example: Flow within a workstation should be
simultaneous
Symmetrical
Natural
Rhythmical
Habitual

6. Flow Patterns:1 Flow within Workstations
Simultaneous: coordinated use of hands, arms and feet.
Symmetrical: coordination of movements about the center of the body.
Natural: movements are continuous, curved, and make use of momentum.
Rhythmical and Habitual: flow allows a methodological and automatic sequence of activities.
It should reduce mental, eye and muscle fatigue, and strain.

7. Flow Patterns:1 Flow within workstations
Simultaneous flow implies the coordinated use of hands, arms, and feet.
Hands, arms, and feet should begin and end their motions together and should not be idle at the same instant except during rest periods.
Symmetrical flow results from coordination of movements about the center of the body.
The left and right hands and arms should be working in coordination.
Natural flow patterns are the basis for rhythmic habitual flow patterns.
Natural movements are continuous, curved, and make use of momentum.
Rhythmical and habitual flow implies a methodical, automatic sequence of activity.
Rhythmical and habitual flow patterns also allow for reduced mental, eye, and muscle fatigue, and strain.

8. Flow Patterns:2 Flow within Departments
The flow pattern within departments depends on the type of department.
In a product and/or product family department, the flow follows the product flow.
1 machine/operator
End-to-end
1 machine/operator
Back-to-back
2 machines/operator
Front-to-front
More than 2 machines /operator
circular
1 machine/operator
Odd-angle

9. Flow Pat.: 2 Flow within Departments (cont.)
In a process department, little flow should occur between workstations within departments.
Flow occurs between workstations and aisles.
perpendicular
diagonal
parallel
Uncommon
Aisle
Aisle
One way
Aisle
Aisle
One way
Dependent on interactions among workstations
available space
size of materials

10. Flow Pat.:3 Flow between Departments
Flow between departments is a criterion often used to evaluate flow within a facility.
Flow typically is a combination of the basic horizontal flow patterns shown below.
An important consideration in combining the flow patterns is the location of the entrance (receiving department) and exit (shipping department).
Similar to straight. It is not as long.
Simplest. Separate receiving/shipping crews
L flow
Straight
Very popular. Combine receiving /shipping.
Simple to administer
U flow
Circular
flow
Terminate flow. Near point of origin
Serpentine
When line is too long
S flow

11. Flow within a facility considering the locations of entrance and exit
At the same location
On adjacent sides

12. On the same side but at opposite ends
Flow within a facility considering the locations of entrance and exit (cont.)
On the same side but at opposite ends
On opposite sides

13. Vertical Flow Pattern
Flow between buildings exists and the connection between buildings is elevated
Ground level ingress (entry) and egress (exit) occur on the same side of the building
Ground level ingress (entry) and egress (exit) are required
Travel between floors occurs on the same side of the building
Backtracking occurs due to the return to the top floor
Some bucket and belt conveyors and escalators result in inclined flow

14. 4: Flow Planning between departments within departments Effective flow
within workstations
within departments
between departments

15. 4: Flow Planning
Planning effective flow involves combining the above patterns with adequate aisles to obtain progressive movements from origin to destination.
An effective flow can be achieved by
(1)maximizing directed flow paths,
(2)reducing flow, and
(3)minimizing the costs of flow.
A directed flow path is an uninterrupted flow path progressing directly from origin to destination.
Uninterrupted flow paths
Interrupted flow paths

16. 4: Flow Planning (cont.)
The reduction of flow can be achieved by work simplification including:
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 movements as possible.
3. Combining flows and operations whenever possible by planning for the movement of materials, information, or people to be combined with a processing step.
Minimizing the cost of flow can be achieved as follows:
1. Reduction of manual handling by minimizing walking, manual travel distances, and motions.
2. Elimination of manual handling by mechanizing or automating flow.

17. 5: Measuring Flow
1. Flow among departments is one of the most important factors in the arrangement of departments within a facility.
Flows may be specified in a quantitative manner or a qualitative manner.
Quantitative measures may include pieces per hour, moves per day, pounds per week.
Qualitative measures may range from an absolute necessity that two departments be close to each other to a preference that two departments not be close to each other.
In facilities having large volumes of materials, information, a number of people moving between departments, a quantitative measure of flow will typically be the basis for the arrangement of departments.
On the contrary, in facilities having very little actual movement of materials, information, and people flowing between departments, but having significant communication and organizational interrelation, a qualitative measure of flow will typically serve as the basis for the arrangement of departments.
4. Most often, a facility will have a need for both quantitative and qualitative measures of flow and both measures should be used.
5. Quantitative flow measure: From-to Chart
Qualitative flow measure: Relationship (REL) Chart

18. Quantitative Flow Measurement
A From-to Chart is constructed as follows:
1. List all departments down the row and across the column following the overall flow pattern.
Establish a measure of flow for the facility that accurately indicates equivalent flow volumes.
If the items moved are equivalent with respect to ease of movement, the number of trips may be recorded in the from-to chart.
If the items moved vary in size, weight, value, risk of damage, shape, and so on, then equivalent items may be established so that the quantities recorded in the from-to chart represent the proper relationships among the volumes of movement.
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.
Lacks symmetry: because there is no definite reason for the flows from stores to milling to be the same as the flows from milling to stores.

20. Moves below the diagonal are counter to the overall flow pattern
Example 1
Flow volume 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
From-to Chart
Stores
Milling
Turning
Press
Plate
Assembly
Warehouse
– –
– – – – –
– 3 – – 4 – –
– – – –
– – – 4 3
1 – – – – – 7
– – – – – – –
Stores
Turning
Milling
Press
Plate
Assembly
Warehouse
– –
– – 3 – 4 – –
– – – – –
– – – –
– – – 4 3
1 – – – – – 7
– – – – – – – To
From
Moves below the diagonal are counter to the overall flow pattern
Original Flow Pattern
Revised Flow Pattern

21. Flow Patterns
Store>Turning >Milling > Press > Plate > Assembly > Warehouse
Press
Store
Turning
Milling
Press
Plate
Assembly
Warehouse
Stores Turning Milling
Warehouse Assembly Plate
Straight-line flow
U-shaped flow
Stores Press Plate Assembly
Turning Milling Warehouse
Stores Milling Warehouse
Turning Press Plate Assembly
S-shaped flow
W-shaped flow

22. Flow Patterns (cont.)
Store>Turning >Milling > Press > Plate > Assembly > Warehouse
Press
Store
Turning
Milling
Press
Plate
Assembly
Warehouse
Stores Turning Milling
Warehouse Assembly Plate
Straight-line flow
U-shaped flow
Stores Press Plate Assembly
Turning Milling Warehouse
Stores Milling Warehouse
Turning Press Plate Assembly
S-shaped flow
W-shaped flow

23. Example Quantitative flow measurement
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. The quantities to be produced and the component routings are as follows:

24. Production Quantities
Example (continue)
Production Quantities
component
(Per day)
Routing 1 2 3 30 12 7
A-C-B-D-E
A-B-D-E
A-C-D-B-E

25. Example (continue) flow volume
From To A C B D E 1 3 2
(7) 30
=14 44 12
2(7)=14 14 42

28. Moment of The Matrix

29. From-to-Chart Example
Let us consider five different parts (#1, #2, #3, #4, #5) which travel from R (receiving) to S(Shipping) departments by following different routes.
Between receiving and shipping, there are machines located at A, B, C, D, E and F.
Our job is to find a layout which will reduce the travel time and increase the efficiency.
We can make improvements by rearranging the flow.

30. From-to-Chart Example
Part Number
Route 1
R A B D C F S 2
R B D C A S 3
R E F B A C D S 4
R F A C D S 5
R C A D S
PART #
QUANTITY PER DAY
UNIT WEIGHT (POUNDS)
TOTAL WEIGHT (POUNDS)
RELATIVE IMPORTANCE 1
2000
0.50
1000
1.0 2
9.00
18000
18.0 3 4
15.00
30000
30.0 5
3.75
7500
7.5

31. From-to-Chart Example
RABDCFS

32. From-to-Chart ExampleB C D E F S
TOTAL X 1 18
7.5 30
57.5
1+30
1+18 20
18+7.5 32
283

33. From-to-Chart Example

34. From-to-Chart Example
To evaluate this alternative, penalty points are assigned to each move depending upon how far the move is away from the present location.
For example, the move R to A is right next door, so we multiply that weight time 1 (one block).
R to B is two blocks away, so we multiply the 18 in that block times two, three blocks away times three, and so on.
The circled numbers are the penalty points. Below and to the left of the diagonal line indicates backtracking, so the penalty points are doubled.
The efficiency of the layout -- R A B C D E F S -- is :
Efficiency = 283 / = 26 %

35. From-to-Chart Example
Now look for clues for improvement.
The highest penalty points are the best clues.
For example, form F to A has a penalty point of 300.
This means that F should be closer to R.
A new layout change of sequence will change both the vertical and horizontal sequence.
An improved layout (REFBACDS) will give an efficiency of:
Efficiency = 283 / 548 = 51.6 %
Draw the new layout

36. Relationship (REL) Chart

37. Qualitative Flow Measurement
Closeness Relationship Values
Value
Closeness A
Absolutely necessary
Especially Important
Important
Ordinary closeness okay
Unimportant
Undesirable E I O U X

38. Qualitative Flow Measurement
A Relationship (REL) Chart is 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.

39. Importance of relationship (top)
Relationship Chart
Importance of relationship (top)
Reason in code (below)
Code Reason
Frequency of use high
Frequency of use medium
Frequency of use low
Information flow high
Information flow medium
Information flow low
1. Directors conference room
2. President
3. Sales department
4. Personnel
5. Plant manager
6. Plant engineering office
7. Production supervisor
8. Controller office
9. Purchasing department I 1 O 5 U 6 A 4
O 5 3 E 2
Rating Definition
A Absolutely Necessary
E Especially Important
I Important
O Ordinary Closeness OK
U Unimportant
X Undesirable

41. Activity Relationship Diagram