Abstract

The footwear industry continues to produce not only quality shoes but also jobs that contribute to the growth of any country’s economy. But as time went by, some of the local shoe manufacturers stalled in developing their production habits which resulted in inefficiency and net loss. The goal of this study is to help them identify the factors that cause inefficiency and propose an optimized facility layout which will be vital for the survival of their business. In addition, this study presents a comprehensive analysis on an optimized facility layout that any footwear production line may use. With the utilization of both qualitative and quantitative research design, this study integrates operations management methods such as queuing theory and time-motion study on the application of ProModel Simulation software. After introducing changes on the facility layout, change in the average time of production with as much as 72% will boost efficiency and output of the footwear production. From an average time of 1,521 seconds or 25 minutes in the present facility layout, the proposed facility layout introduces reduction in time down to 428 seconds or 7 minutes only. For the future researchers, different layout theories may be used depending on the needs of the production line. This study presents the significance of combining traditional operations management methods with new technology that produces improved facility layout which is pivotal for the efficiency in production and optimization of workflow process.