Simplified Systematic Layout Planning

The process of arranging a work space for a factory or office is often done informally. The people working in the area all have opinions about who should be where or what equipment goes here or there. Here’s a better way, Richard Muther’s Simplified Systematic Layout Planning:

1. Chart the Relationships
2. Establish Space Requirements
3. Diagram Activity Relationships
4. Draw Space Relationships
5. Evaluate Alternative Arrangements
6. Detail the Selected Layout Plan

Let’s dig in … To chart the relationships make a list of each activity involved on a relationship chart and code and score the interaction between pairs as so :

• A – Absolutely necessary = 16
• E – Especially important = 8
• I – Important = 4
• O – Okay = 1
• U – Unimportant = 0
• X – Undesirable = -80

Here’s the current map.

Here’s a rearrangement.

Here’s the math…