Commercial Cartography – Vol. III

Facility Layout or Floor Plan

     Of all business maps, the facility layout, or floor plan, is one of the most universal.  If an organization has a physical presence – office, storefront, factory, etc. – it should have a documented layout that is updated as changes are made.
     Documented layouts are most commonly prepared for manufacturing facilities because of their large footprints and large numbers of machines housed within them.  Every type of organization, however, can benefit from a properly maintained layout drawing.  Readily-available CAD software and trained users makes this a relatively simple task to complete.

     The facility layout is one map that rarely has “too much information,” though poor organization of the information can give that impression.  CAD software typically allows selective visibility of information, allowing a single file to serve numerous purposes without objectives interfering with one another.
     For ease of use and to gain maximum benefit from the layout file, the following guidelines should be followed:

• Draw the facility and all contents to scale; plotting with a standard scale, such as ¼” = 1’, is ideal.
• Define the logical organization of information; create layers to store and identify each type.
• Establish a color code to differentiate types of information and maintain consistency.  Layers can also be used for this purpose.
• Maintain a controlled, or “official,” version that is updated each time layout changes are made.  Change management procedures should be followed.
• Store an uncontrolled copy separately to be used to make proposals for improvements or new installations.
• Use simplified representations (outlines or “footprints”) where detailed geometry does not add value.  This will reduce the file size and improve performance.
• Display a grid of appropriate scale to facilitate distance estimates and feasibility studies or proposed layouts.

     A detailed facility layout, as mentioned, can serve many purposes.  Examples include:

• Asset management
• Process mapping (see Vol. IV:  Spaghetti Diagram)
• Logistics planning
• Emergency preparedness
• Maintenance planning
• Facility modification proposals and planning
• Environmental impact studies
• Utility routing

 
     As a layout is developed, it is common for additional applications to be identified.  Its foundational nature is the reason a basic facility layout may be referred to as a “base map” – one onto which additional information is layered.  The floor plan, without detail, is the “base layer.”
     The key limiting factors to the application of a layout are (1) the ability to organize the information in an efficient and easily-understood manner and (2) the capabilities of the computer or network on which the software runs and the file is stored.  The utility of a detailed layout may be diminished by a computer or network that cannot efficiently process a large file.
 
     For assistance organizing your layout information, feel free to contact JayWink Solutions or leave a comment below.

     For a directory of “Commercial Cartography” volumes on “The Third Degree,” see “Vol. I:  An Introduction to Business Mapping.”
 
References
[Link] “Plant Layout in Operation Management.”  WisdomJobs.com.

Jody W. Phelps, MSc, PMP®, MBA
Principal Consultant
JayWink Solutions, LLC
jody@jaywink.com