8

Planning Activity
Relationships
The several preceding chapters have dealt with the flow of material, or other
elements, through the facility being designed. In addition to the element flow,
around which the equipment and work centers are arranged, there is the problem
of locating the many service or auxiliary activities. These should be located to
serve the productive activity, but in varying degrees of proximity according to
their relative importance to the activity.
The first task is to identify the service and auxiliary activities needed to
support the major activity of the enterprise. Table 8-1 tabulates the types of
service activities as related to several kinds of facility planning problem situations.
As has been indicated or implied previously, the so-called 'production or produc¬
tive activity will vary with the type of enterprise. In all cases, however, a number
of supporting services are necessary—each related to the major function of the
facility, but in varying degrees of importance.

Types of Activity
In the industrial facility, there are likely to be a much larger number of services
than indicated in Table 8-1. A more detailed breakdown is shown in Table 8-2,
where the activities are categorized as serving administration, production, per¬
sonnel, and physical plant. As can be seen, with a large number of service
activities the task of properly relating them to production, and to each other, can
be rather complex. The first task is to identify them all, to insure that no activity
of significance is overlooked or ignored.
Also, as pointed out, the locations of internal activities, as well as flow
patterns, should consider the external relationships to the facility site and its
characteristics.

Selection of Activity Centers

In choosing the activities or activity centers, the primary characteristics for
consideration are:

1. Does a single, or specialized, or particular group of activities occur?

2. Does the activity require a significant amount of floor space—say 100 ft square,
 Ch. 8 PLANNING ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS 201

Table 8-1. Activiity Centers for Various Types of Facilities

A. Home C. Restaurant E. Hospital 8. Delivery and

1. Carport or garage receiving
1. Parking 1. Admission
2. Kitchen 9. Garbage, etc.
2. Entrance 2. Central supply
3. Dining room 10. Library
3. Coat room 3. Laundry
4. Living room 11. Supplies
4. Lounge 4. Pharmacy
5. Family room 12. Maintenance
5. Rest rooms 5. Kitchen
6. Study 13. Athletic field
6. Dining room 6. Food service-
14. Locker room
7. Deck/patio 7. Private dining staff & visitors
15. Faculty parking
8. Bedrooms- room 7. Mechanical
16. Student parking
master, guest 8. Kitchen maintenance
children 9. Receiving and 8. Surgery G. Manufacturing
9. Utility room, delivery 9. Laboratories plant
storage, base¬ 10. Garbage, etc. 10. Administration
ment 1. Receiving
and records
10. Lavatory D. College campus 2. Material stores
11. Out-patient
11. Bathroom 3. Fabrication
1. Library 12. Patient rooms
4. Inspection
2. Dormitories 13. Emergency
B. Summer camp 5. In-process
3. Student center 14. X-ray
1. Sleeping; tents, 15. Parking stores
4. Class rooms
etc. 6. Assembly
5. Administration
2. Toilet, washing F. High school 7. Food service
6. Athletic facilities
3. Dining, kitchen 8. Locker room
7. Maintenance and 1. Entrance
4. Swimming 9. First aid
utilities 2. Administrative
5. Boating 10. Offices
8. Bookstore office
6. Campfire 11. Warehousing-
9. Auditorium 3. Gymnasium
7. Athletic field finished goods
10. Student parking 4. Teachers lounge
8. Archery/rifle 11. Parking—faculty 12. Shipping
5. Cafeteria
9. Entrance 13. Parking
& staff 6. Auditorium
10. Parking 12. Health center 7. Kitchen
11. Garbage, etc. 13. Research

more or less? (Too small an activity, may get lost in the subsequent assignment
of area to the activity.)
3. Does the activity have a lot of flow through it?

A study of the organization chart will help to identify activity centers, as will
interviews with key personnel. Then, a study of the activity itself should be made,
to become familiar with what goes on there. The result of the activity selection
process should be a list, or lists, similar to Table 8-2.

Types of Relationships
Before dealing with specific activity interrelationships, it may be well to identify
the types of relationship that exist among the several activities. In general,
they are:
 202 PLANT LAYOUT AND MATERIAL HANDLING

Table 8-2. Plant Service Activities

4. Plant engineering 9. Fire escapes

A. Administration a. General 10. Drinking fountains
b. Maintenance 11. Telephones—booths, etc.
1. President
5. Receiving
2. General manager
6. Stock room (storage) D. Physical plant
3. Sales and advertising
7. Warehousing
4. Accounting 1. Heating facilities
8. Shipping
5. Product engineering 2. Ventilating equipment
9. Tool room
6. Purchasing 3. Air conditioning equip¬
10. Tool crib
7. Personnel ment
11. MH equipment storage
8. Product service 4. Power generating equip¬
12. Supervision
9. File room ment
10. Conference room C. Personnel 5. Telephone equipment
11. Vault room
1. Health and medical
12. Reception room 6. Maintenance shops
facilities
13. Switchboard 7. Air compressors
2. Food service
14. Data processing
a. Kitchen 8. Scrap collection area
b. Dining 9. Vehicle storage
B. Production c. Vending machines 10. Fire protection
3. Lavatory a. Extinguishers
1. Industrial engineering 4. Smoking area b. Hoses
2. Production control 5. Lounge area c. Equipment
3. Quality control 6. Recreation area d. Sprinkler valves
a. Receiving inspection 7. Parking 11. Stairways
b. In-process (floor) 8. Time clock 12. Elevators
c. Final inspection a. Bulletin boards 13. Plant protection

1. Between two production activities (this type of relationship has been dealt with
in the discussion of production, material, or element flow).
2. Between a production and a service or auxiliary activity.
3. Between two service activities.

The latter two categories are the primary concern of the balance of this chapter.

Factors Affecting Relationships

As with so many other aspects of the planning process, there are a number of
factors to be taken into consideration in planning activity relationships. Some of
them are especially significant, such as:

A. Special requirements of specific activities, or departments, (as pointed out in

Chapter 5):
B. Building characteristics:
1. Type 4. No. of floors 7. Column spacing
2. Size 5. Clear height 8. Door locations
3. Shape 6. Column location 9. Expansion directions
 Ch. 8 PLANNING ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS 203

C. Building site:
1. Location 4. Shape 6. Weather (direction)
2. Size 5. Orientation of
3. Topography building
D. External facilities:
1. Transportation modes 3. Utilities
2. Parking 4. Auxiliary facilities
E. Expansion:
1. Future iproduction flow and 4. Permanent equipment
layout changes 5. Extra space; additional floors; etc.
2. Aisles—locations, width 6. Building shape
3. Location of activities likely 7. Column location and spacing
to expand; and sequence

Degrees of Activity Interrelationship

In order to help decide which activities should be located where, a classification of
degrees of closeness has been established, along with a code to identify each.
These have been identified by Richard Muther1 as:

A = Absolutely necessary—for the activities under consideration to be next to

each other
E = Especially important—for them to be close
I = Important—that they be close together
O = Ordinary (closeness)—OK as they fall
U = Unimportant—for there to be any “geographical” relationships.

It should also be recognized that there may be a required degree of separation.

That is the activities may best be separated somewhat, for such reasons as:

I- Dirt 6. Safety or health

2. Noise hazards
3. Fumes, smoke 7. Interruptions
4. Odors 8. Distractions
5. Vibration

The code for representing an undesired closeness is:

X = Undesirable—for the activities to be close together

These classifications and their codes are used in the Activity Relationship Chart,
also developed by Richard Muther.

The Activity Relationship Chart

The Activity Relationship Chart (see Figure 8-1) is an ideal technique for planning
the relationship among any group of interrelated activities. It is helpful in such

1 Muther, Systematic Layout Planning; form used by courtesy of Richard Muther.

 204 PLANT LAYOUT AND MATERIAL HANDLING

cases as:

1. Preliminary allocation of sequence for a From-To Chart.

2. Relative location of work centers or departments in an office.
3. Location of activities in a service business.
4. Location of work centers in a maintenance or repair operation.
 Ch. 8 PLANNING ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS 205

5. Relative location of service areas within a production facility.

6. Showing which activities are related to each other, and why.
7. Providing a basis for subsequent area allocation.

The Activity Relationship Chart is similar to the From-To Chart, but only one set
of locations is indicated. In fact it is again similar to some road map mileage
tables; the distances are replaced by qualitative code letters, and numbers
representing reasons for the letter codes. Figure 8-1 is a typical Activity Rela¬
tionship Chart. The relationship code indicates which activities are related to each
other and how important each closeness relationship is. Letters (A, E, I, O, U, and
X) are entered in the top of the squares. Colors are sometimes used to represent
the degrees of closeness. Code numbers are entered in the bottoms of the squares,
representing the substantiating reasons for each closeness relationship. These
codes are:

Closeness-Color Code:

A—Red—Absolutely necessary O—Blue—Ordinary closeness

E—Orange—Especially important U—Uncolored—Unimportant
I—Green—Important X—Brown—Undesirable

Production Relationships 4. Normal path of travel

1. Sequence of work flow 5. Ease of supervision
2. Use same equipment 6. Perform similar work
3. Use same records 7. Personal preference
4. Share same space 8. Movement of personnel (traffic
5. Noise, dirt, fumes, vibration, flow)
etc. 9. Interruption of personnel
6. Facilitate material handling
Information Flow
Personnel Relationships 1. Use common records
1. Share same personnel 2. Degree of paperwork contact
2. Urgency of contact 3. Use same communications (etc.)
3. Degree of personal contact equipment

On the Activity Relationship Chart blank form, the Reason column is left blank to
permit entry of applicable substantiating reasons for each specific situation. The
codes are as used in Figure 8-1.

Constructing the Activity Relationship Chart

The activity interrelationship planning process might proceed somewhat as
follows:

1. Identify all significant service or auxiliary activities needed to support the major
productive functions of the enterprise. Use the Plant Service Activities List in
Table 8-2 as an aid in (1) drawing up one for the facility under consideration, or
(2) editing it to fit the facility being planned.
2. Separate into categories—(a) production; (b) service (administration, production,
personnel, physical plant).
 206 PLANT LAYOUT AND MATERIAL HANDLING

3. Collect data on flow of material, information, personnel, etc.

4. Decide which factors or sub-factors should determine relationships—(a) material
flow (production only), (b) equipment, (c) information flow, (d) personnel
relationships, (e) physical relationships.
5. Prepare a form similar to that in Figure 8-1.
6. Enter the activities under analysis down the left hand side; the order is not
important, although they may be placed in a logical sequence.
7. Enter the desired (required) degree of closeness, for every pair of activities, in the
square at the intersection of the lines, as a letter (in the top) to represent the
relative importance of the relationship—Care and judgement should be exer¬
cised in assigning letters to be sure there are not too many A’s, E’s etc., since
this will cause difficulty later when the activities are arranged to satisfy the
desired relationships, i.e., if everything must be close to everything else.
8. A code number (in the bottom) to indicate the reason—evaluations should be
based on knowledge of the relationships among the activities under considera¬
tion, and the values of those relationships; it may be wise to discuss the
evaluations with persons concerned, or use a form to collect pertinent data from
those persons.
9. Review the Activity Relationship Chart with other people, to make sure there is
some agreement as to the importance of relationships; it might be wise to obtain
approvals from appropriate people.

If the analyst has worked out several charts with several people covering interre¬
lated activities, someone may have to act as judge or arbitrator of any serious
difference of opinion. Having made a chart the analyst has completed the task of
recording the information. The next step is to make use of it in designing the
physical interrelationships.

The Activity Relationship Diagram

While the Activity Relationship Chart is useful for planning and analyzing
activity interrelationships, the resulting information is only useful if it is converted
into a diagram. This is the objective of the Activity Relationship Diagram, which
becomes a basis for planning the relationships between the material flow pattern
and the location of service activities related to the production activity. The
Activity Relationship Diagram is in reality a block diagram indicating approxi¬
mate activity relationships, showing each activity as a single activity template.
(There is no connotation of space at this stage of the planning process; that comes
in the next phase, space allocation, in Chapter 9.)
The Activity Relationship Diagram is constructed, beginning with an analysis
of the Activity Relationship Chart (Figure 8-1) and with the aid of the worksheet
shown in Figure 8-2, as follows:

1. List the activities in the left hand column.

2. Enter the activity number, from the Activity Relationship Chart, in each column,
to represent the degree of closeness with the activity on the line—for example^
on the Activity Relationship Chart, Receiving and Shipping carries an A
 Ch. 8 PLANNING ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS 207

WORKSHEET FOR ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM

ACTIVITY DEGREE OF CLOSENESS

A E l 0 u X
1 Receiving and Shipping 2 5

to
- 6, 7,

00
_

2 Stock Room 1, 5

jLD
- 6, 7,

CO
- -

3 Tool Room and Tool Crib 4, 5 1, 2

CD
- - -

4 Maintenance 3, 5 - - 1, 2, 8 6, 7 -

5 Production 2, 3, 4 6, 7, 8 1 - - -

6 Locker Room 5 7 1, 2,3,4 8

7 Food Service - 5 6 8 1, 2, 3,4
8 Offices 5 1, 2, 4, 7 3 6
9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Figure 8-2—Worksheet for activity relationship diagram for Powrarm fac¬

tory.

relationship to Activity 2 (Stock Room); an I relationship to Activity 5 (Produc¬

tion); an O relationship to Activities 6 and 7. A check can be made by verifying
that all activity numbers are recorded on each line (counting the number of the
activity on the line; for example, on line 1, all activity numbers are included:
1, 2, 5, 3, 4, 8, 6, 7).
3. Continue the procedure—for each line on the Worksheet, until all relationships
have been recorded.
4. Enter the identifying activity names in the centers of the activity templates,
using a form such as in Figure 8-3.
5. Transfer numbers from columns on the Worksheet to the corners of the activity
templates, as shown in Figure 8-3; U s are not transferred, since they have
been accounted for on the Worksheet, and are unimportant from now on.
6. Cut out activity templates from form.
7. Arrange the templates into an Activity Relationship Diagram, matching first the
A’s, next the E’s, etc., in the most appropriate arrangement; for example, No. 1
(Receiving and Shipping) might be placed in the upper left-hand corner of the
arrangement, as a start. Then, No. 2 wants to be next to it. And then, Nos. 1
and 5 want to be next to No. 2 (No. 1 already is), etc., etc. Figure 8-4 illustrates
one possible arrangement satisfying most of the closeness requirements. As with
 208 PLANT LAYOUT AND MATERIAL HANDLING

A-2 E- A-/,*- E- A-+.S E- A-3, s' E-

X- X- X- X-

1
RPCF) V/N6
2 3 4
Stock Room Tool. Room At A //VTSHAtVCP
AND SHIPP INC- AMD CR!Q
I -r Q-5XI I- 0-5X8 I- 0-1,2 I- 0-1.2,9
A-1,3,4 E-W A- E-S- A- E-5- A- E-5"
X-8 X- 6
5 6 7 8
PRODUCT! ON LOCKE!? ROOM PooD SERVICE oppicfs

I-/ 0- 1-7 0- l-6> o-/ I- o-t.m

A- E- A- E- A- E- A - E-

X- X- X- X-

9 10 II 12
/- 0- /- 0- /- O- /- O-
A— E- A— E— A— E- A— E-
X- X— X- X-

13 14 15 16
/- 0- /- 0- /- O- /- O-
A— E— A— E— A— E- A— E-
X— X- X- X-
17 18 19 20
/- 0- /- 0- /- O- /- O-

Figure 8-3—Activity relationship diagram activity templates

for Powrarm factory.

many of the other techniques, there is probably no one best arrangement. Other
trials should be made until all concerned are satisfied. Also, an adaptation of the
From-To Chart could be constructed, and the relationships assigned numerical
values (as shown under From-To Charts) to prove the best answer more quanti¬
tatively. ^
8. Copy final arrangement onto another cross-section sheet, as in Figure 8-4. This is
the Activity Relationship Diagram.
9. Draw a tentative flow pattern, if desired, on the Diagram.

Actually, this relatively simple example does not utilize the technique as effec¬
tively as a more complex one. The simpler example is used to illustrate the
 Ch. 8 PLANNING ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS 209

plant.

procedure. Where there is a large number of activities and relationships, it may be

desirable to divide them into groups of related activities and work first with the
larger groups—as when the production function is made up of a large number of
activities, or there is a larger number of service activities than in the accompa¬
nying illustration. Then, the larger functions may be more easily related to each
other—and the process repeated with smaller activities within the larger ones.
An alternative technique, developed by Richard Muther,2 uses a combination
of lines, symbols, and colors, and results in a diagram as shown in Figure 8-5.
Here, the symbols are the conventional process symbols, and the number of lines
between symbols represent the importance of the closeness; that is, 4 lines = A,
3 = E, 2 = I, etc. Wiggly lines are used to show undesired relationships.
The Muther approach is not unlike that suggested by De Villeneuve,3 and
later by Hoffman4 and Downs.5 They have all developed similar flow diagrams,

2 Muther, ch. 6.
3L. de Villeneuve, “The Quantitative Flow Chart.” In 2nd Biennial Proceedings of the Packaging
and Material Handling Institute (University of Southern California, 1952).
4J. R. Hoffman, “An Evaluation of Quantitative Techniques in Plant Layout.” Privately circu¬
lated.
5G. Downs, “Best Way To Layout a Job Shop,” Factory Management and Maintenance Nov
1956.
 210 PLANT LAYOUT AND MATERIAL HANDLING

with activities connected by lines or bands of varying width or thickness. The

width of the line indicates the volume of flow between activities and aids in
properly interrelating them in the early stages of layout planning.

Conclusion
This chapter has covered both procedures and techniques for designing—or
redesigning—interrelationships among a number of activities. It will be found
equally useful in activity relationship planning for any of the types of enterprise
referred to in previous chapters, ranging from schools to post offices to manufac¬
turing plants. The next two chapters will be concerned with the details of selected
service and auxiliary activities, followed by the determination of space require¬
ments of the facility.

Questions
1. What are the four major categories of service and auxiliary activity? Name some in
each category.
2. What are the three types of relationship among activities?
3. What are the categories of factors affecting relationships between activities? Name
some factors in each.
4. Describe the A, E, I, O, U, and X degrees of closeness.
5. What are some reasons for the X category?
6. Describe the concept of the Activity Relationship Chart and discuss its use.
7. What are some of the reasons for desired closeness between activities?
8. Describe how the Activity Relationship Diagram is developed from the Chart.

Exercises

A. Make an Activity Relationship Chart for one of the facilities delineated in Figure 8-1,
or choose your own.
B. Make an Activity Relationship Diagram for your solution to Exercise A.