Routing and Expansion flexibility

Routing Flexibility

It specifies the capacity to generate parts through alternative workstation sequences in response to equipment breakdowns, tool failures, and other interruptions. It is facilitated by the similarity of parts in the mix, duplication of workstations, similarity of workstations, cross-training of manual operators and the availability of common tooling.

Expansion Flexibility

It is the ease with which the system may be expanded to enhance total production quantities must the need arise. It can be examined by the cost of adding workstations, ease with which layout may be expanded, type of part handling system utilized and the ease with which properly trained workers might be added.