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Activity Relationship Analysis

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The Three As of Plant Layout

1. Affinities (Relationships)

2. Areas

3. Adjustment

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Establishing Relationships

A relationship diagram that provides a visual means to determine the intensity of flow between processed based activities.

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Establishing Relationships- Between ActivitiesBetween Activities

6 7

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3 1

2 8

9

13

The fewer the lines between activities, the lower the “intensity”

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Establishing Relationships- Based on Material FlowBased on Material Flow

A method to quantity what is moving within the plant

Graphically establish existing flowpaths between activities

Optimize the material flowpaths Optimizing distances between activities

should be based on materials handling cost

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Activity Relationship Analysis

1. The activity relationship diagram

2. The worksheet

3. The dimensionless block diagram

4. The flow analysis

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Activity Relationship Analysis

Activity Relationship diagram shows the relationship of every department, office, or service area with every other department and area. In order to establish this relationship, we use closeness codes to “weight” the decision.

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Closeness Codes

Code

Definition

A Absolutely required proximity

E Especially important

I Important

O Ordinary importance

U Unimportant

X Closeness undesirable

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Closeness Codes

“A” Codes Between Departments: Restricted to massive materials

movements Used for great movements of people Limit it to no more than eight (8) with

one department

Example- raw steel storeroom to the shearing department

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Closeness Codes

“E” Codes Between Departments: Used if there is any doubt that it is an

“A” Much material or people movement, but

not all at one time

Example- restrooms, or break rooms

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Closeness Codes

“I” & “O” Codes Between Departments: Used when some level of importance is desired

Some consultants omit these codes, however, use them on the first few layout designs

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Closeness Codes

“U” Codes Between Departments: Useful because they tell us that no

activity or interface is needed

Indicates that these departments can be placed far away from each other

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Closeness Codes

“X” Codes Between Departments: As important as “A” codes The opposite of “A” codes Indicates less than desired closeness

Example- Welding next to flammables, or paint areas near grinding operations

Relationship Chart

X

DepartmentsActivities

Etc.

Basic Information

Painting 5,769 Sq.Ft.

Milling 3,898 Sq. Ft.

A

Relationship betweenpainting and milling

Relationship Rating

X Reasoning

1 & 4

1. Dust2. Noise3. Fumes4. Vibration5. ...

X Keys

OR

&

Relationship Chart

Dept 1

Dept A

Dept B

Dept C

Dept D

Dept E

Dept F

Dept 8

XX

Relationship between departments A and F

RelationshipA - absolutely necessaryE - very important I - importantO - ordinary importanceU - unimportantX - undesirable

A

XU

UI

EO

IE

OIU

IU

The relationship chartis a subjective approach

to defining a quantifiablerelationship between

departments.

Code

Percentage

“A”“E”“I”“O”

5%10%15%25%

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Relationship ChartThe total number of relationships, N, between all possible pairs of work centers in any facility can be determined as:

Where n = number of departments or work centers in the facility. For example, for a facility with 25 different departments or work centers:

N =n(n – 1)

2

N =25(25 – 1)

2= 300 total codes

Facility planners rule of thumb states that you should have no more than 15 “A” codes (300 x 5% = 15). Similarly, it is reasonable to expect that the number of “E” and “I” codes should not exceed 30 and 45, respectively.

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Activity Relationship Factors

Do they share common utilities? Are they part of a common process? Does one department supply the

other? What are the management and

personnel common between the departments?

Is the process in one department harmful to the other?

Other. . .

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Nonflow Factors Usually collected through interviews

with the operators, management, etc. These areas include:

Maintenance Tool storage Lunchroom Restrooms Offices

Use the same charting/weighting concept

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Activity Relationship Analysis

1. The activity relationship diagram

2. The worksheet

3. The dimensionless block diagram

4. The flow analysis

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Activity Relationship Worksheet

The worksheet is an interim step between the activity relationship diagram and the

dimensionless block diagram. The worksheet will replace the activity relationship diagram.

The worksheet interprets the activity relationship diagram and becomes the basic data for the dimensionless block diagram.

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Activity Relationship Worksheet

Activities A E I O U X1 Fabrication 2,6 3,10 9,11,13,14 4,5,12 7,82 Welding 1,3 6 9,10,12,13,5 7,8,4,11,143 Paint 2,4 1 6 12,13,9 5,7,8,10,11,144 Assembly 3,7 6,8 9,12,13,14 1,5 2,10,115 Warehouse 4,8 14 5,3,2,1,9,10,11,12,13 6

All activities . . .

Relationship Codes

continues

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Activity Relationship Analysis

1. The activity relationship diagram

2. The worksheet

3. The dimensionless block diagram

4. The flow analysis