Layout Models

Abstract

Typically, facility or plant layout problems are described in terms of locating items (e.g., machines or workstations or departments) in certain slots, spaces or positions in a plant (or office, school, etc.). As such, layout problems appear very similar to standard location models. There are, however, a number of significant differences between them. First, there are no “customers” in layout problems. Instead, we have “items” that are to be put in available “slots.” As an example, stores will be put into (empty) buildings, office machines will be assigned to empty rooms, or pallets with goods are to be positioned in a warehouse.