Factory planning – consulting according to established procedures

What is factory planning and why is it important?

Factory planning is the systematic design of factory facilities. The planning must meet the requirements of production, logistics, ergonomics and the environment. Factory planning includes the planning of buildings, machines, workplaces, material flows and warehouses.

Good factory planning is important in order to increase competitiveness. It takes into account future changes in the market, in technology and in society. This improves productivity, quality, flexibility and safety.

What are the planning levels?

The planning levels of factory planning describe the different levels of detail at which a factory can be planned. It is about the different levels in a production network, from the strategy to the actual work at the workplace. The planning levels are arranged hierarchically and influence each other. The most important planning levels are

• Production network: A network of locations that cooperate with each other and specialize in specific production tasks. The planning of the production network includes site selection, site structure, site networking and site management.
• Plant: A production area at a location that fulfills a defined production task. The planning of the plant includes the plant structure, plant dimensioning, plant logistics and plant organization.
• Building: An architectural-spatial production area that comprises one or more production tasks. The planning of the building includes the building structure, the building design, the building technology and the building integration.
• Segment: An area in production with several similar workstations. The planning includes the structure, size, logistics and organization of the segment.
• Workstation: A basic production area that includes one or more operating resources and ancillary equipment. The planning of the workplace includes design, layout, ergonomics and safety at the workplace.

What are the planning cases?

The planning cases of factory planning describe the different occasions and objectives that can trigger factory planning. They depend on the existing or planned factory situation and require different planning approaches and scopes. The most important planning cases are

• New planning: The construction of a new factory on an undeveloped area (greenfield). Greenfield planning offers maximum design freedom, but also requires a great deal of planning effort and investment.
• Rescheduling: The adaptation of an existing factory to changed requirements. Rescheduling takes into account the existing production factors and the restrictions imposed by ongoing operations (brownfield). Rescheduling aims to modernize and/or rationalize existing production.
• Expansion: The enlargement of an existing factory by adding additional space or buildings. The expansion requires coordination between the existing and the new factory structure and organization.
• Revitalization: The revitalization of a disused or unused factory for a new task. Revitalization requires an analysis of the existing substance and adaptation to the new requirements.
• Dismantling planning: The dissolution or downsizing of an existing factory. Dismantling planning requires an assessment of the production factors to be removed and consideration of the legal and environmental aspects.

What are the planning phases?

The planning phases of factory planning describe the individual steps that are taken in the planning process of a factory. They follow a systematic and methodical procedure that extends from the definition of objectives to the ramp-up of production. The planning phases are generally iterative. The most important planning phases are

• Definition of objectives: The definition of the project objectives to be pursued with the factory planning. The definition of objectives includes the formulation of the main tasks, consequences, investment costs and objectives, which create an initial planning basis.
• Basic determination: The collection and generation of the necessary data and information for planning. The basic determination includes the collection and evaluation of information for the planning of quantities, equipment, processes and buildings.
• Concept planning: The design of a feasible factory concept that meets the factory objectives. Concept planning includes structural planning, dimensioning, ideal planning and real planning to create a rough block layout.
• Detailed planning: The design of the selected layout variant with the specific operating resources. The detailed planning comprises the detailed planning, the approval planning and the service description, which result in a detailed layout in the form of a grid layout.
• Preparation for implementation: organizing the awarding of contracts to suppliers and planning the implementation of the factory. Preparation for implementation includes obtaining bids, awarding contracts and monitoring implementation planning. The relocations are planned in parallel.
• Implementation monitoring: Monitoring the implementation of the factory in accordance with quality standards, costs and schedules. Realization supervision includes construction management, acceptance and documentation.
• Ramp-up support: Commissioning the factory and transferring it to normal factory operation. The ramp-up support includes commissioning, ramp-up and evaluation.