Facility planning: an approach to optimise a distribution network at Clover SA

Abstract

Clover is the largest dairy company in South Africa with approximately 6500 employees. According to Clover’s chief executive, Clover stands for: Stability and their people and producers are ‘dairy men’ that have milk running through their veins.The project at hand focuses mainly on facility layout planning and design at Clover’s Clayville branch. It involves the building of a chilled warehouse that can meet the company’s requirements. This report systematically explains the aim of the project as well as the extent of it in terms of what will be included and excluded. It includes a study on different approaches that can be followed to design the layout of a facility and contains research on aspects related to facilities planning namely materials handling and materials handling equipment. The design phase of this project follows Muther’s Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) procedure, a methodology that is often used when developing alternative facility layouts. The new proposed facility aims to resolve the distribution network problem which is currently experienced.