The productive use of space and of the people who operate that space is achieved by applying certain principles of flow to the functions inherent in the operation.
Identifying functions
The first step is to identify on paper all of the functions that take place in an operation. In a restaurant, for example, goods are received and sent to either dry or refrigerated storage. From there they might go to pre- preparation, then to the cook, server, dining room, and dishwasher.
Productive use of space occurs when two functional areas, receiving and storage, for example, are placed near each other. Evaluation of flow can be undertaken for materials, employees, guests, or paperwork in order to minimize the flow for what is considered important. The same type of analysis can be accomplished for a guest entering a hotel or restaurant in order to ensure a minimum of guest inconvenience, in getting to the room, for example.
Flow principles
Whichever criteria are considered important, the principles to minimize movement are the same. Wherever possible, flow should be along straight paths. In addition, the amount of cross traffic, backtracking, and bypassing should be kept to a minimum.
Keeping flow in a straight line, over the shortest distance, is crucial. Cross traffic causes bottlenecks and congestion; consequently, it should be avoided. Backtracking occurs when a person moves from one place or piece of equipment to another, then returns along the same path. This probably cannot be eliminated but should be cut down as much as possible, perhaps with wide aisles or circular routes of flow. Bypassing occurs when someone has to move past one or more pieces of equipment to perform the next stage in a process. Different arrangements of equipment, fixtures, and areas may be necessary to find the best arrangement.
Flow diagrams or string charts (in which pieces of string are used to simulate movement) can be useful in finding the best arrangement.
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