An approach to industrial facility layout evaluation using a performance index

A good deal of literature dealing with the facility layout problem has focused on greenfleld layout design. However, little attention has been paid to the facility re-layout problem. Generally, methods applied to plant layout evaluation research, only make sense if several different layout alternatives are compared. Consequently, these methods tend to have limited value in evaluating existing plant layouts or in supporting the need for a re-layout. With this in mind, this work suggests an indicator that allows one to evaluate an existing plant's layout performance by identifying where it stands in relation to the ideal and the non-ideal scenarios. The application of this particular indicator can help justify the pertinence or irrelevance of facility re-layout decisions. The method is illustrated in a case study carried out on a company in the metal components processing industry, located in the city of Guayaquil.