Activity Relationship Analysis
1
The Three As of Plant Layout
1.
Affinities (Relationships)
2.
Areas
3.
Adjustment
2
Establishing Relationships
A relationship diagram that provides a
visual means to determine the intensity of
flow between processed based activities.
3
Establishing RelationshipsBetween Activities
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4
7
5
2
3
13
8
1
9
The fewer the lines between activities, the
lower the “intensity”
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Establishing RelationshipsBased 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
5
Activity Relationship Analysis
1.
The activity relationship diagram
2.
The worksheet
3.
The dimensionless block diagram
4.
The flow analysis
6
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
U
Absolutely required proximity
Especially important
Important
Ordinary importance
Unimportant
X
Closeness undesirable
E
I
O
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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
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Relationship Chart
Departments
Activities
Etc.
Painting
Basic Information
Relationship between
painting and milling
OR
5,769 Sq.Ft.
A
Milling
3,898 Sq. Ft.
Relationship Rating
&
X
X
1&4
Reasoning
X Keys
1. Dust
2. Noise
3. Fumes
4. Vibration
5. ...
Relationship Chart
Relationship between departments A and F
Dept 1
The relationship chart
is a subjective approach
to defining a quantifiable
relationship between
departments.
Dept A
Dept B
Dept C
Dept D
Dept E
Dept F
Cod
e
Percenta
ge
“A”
“E”
“I”
“O”
5%
10%
15%
25%
Dept 8
E
O
E
O
A
I
U
I
U
I
I
U
X
U
X
X
Relationship
A - absolutely necessary
E - very important
I - important
O - ordinary importance
U - unimportant
X - undesirable
Relationship Chart
The total number of relationships, N, between all possible
pairs of work centers in any facility can be determined as:
n(n – 1)
N =
2
Where n = number of departments or work centers in the
facility. For example, for a facility with 25 different
departments or work centers:
25(25 – 1)
= 300 total codes
N =
2
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
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



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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
19
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
Relationship Codes
1
2
3
4
5
Activities
Fabrication
Welding
Paint
Assembly
Warehouse
A E
I
2,6 3,10 9,11,13,14
1,3
6
2,4 1
6
3,7 6,8 9,12,13,14
4,8
O
4,5,12
9,10,12,13,5
12,13,9
1,5
14
U
X
7,8
7,8,4,11,14
5,7,8,10,11,14
2,10,11
5,3,2,1,9,10,11,12,13 6
All activities . . .
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
22