Optimizing Dairy Plant Layout Using CRAFT: Enhancing Space Utilization, Efficiency, and Productivity

Poor aisle configuration on the production floor results in congestion of men and machines, accidents that may lead to serious injury, and consequently, an overall loss in productivity. There is a need to prevent the incessant wastage of a huge number of resources, revenue, and production time as a result of the serial production shutdown, congestion on the floor, and poor space utilization. This research aims to improve the plant layout of a dairy company to ensure optimum space utilization, eliminate obstructions in material flow, and thus obtain maximum efficiency and productivity. Data such as the present layout of the production plant was obtained from the design section of the company Flow process chart of the production process was studied and analyzed using facility layout design concepts, and the proposed layout was developed using the Computerized Relative Allocation of Facilities Technique (CRAFT). On the proposed layout, a free space of 1620m2 which has the capacity for 997 jumbos, with a layout efficiency of 91%. Comparing the layouts, the proposed layout gives a better space utilization of 50.95% increase in storage capacity (from 489 jumbos to 997 jumbos), and the distance travelled was reduced from 457.24m to 172.20m. which is 62.36%, production time by 7.8% and the material handling cost by 6.2%. This improved space utilization gives room for future expansion and more space for a temporary storage point.