ROUTING FLEXIBILITY:
When the manufacturing system is flexible enough to absorb changes in manufacturing capacity such as an increase in the number of units being made this is called ‘routing flexibility’. This may be achieved by selecting the right path through which the product or component flows through the production line. A production line that has enough manufacturing capacity that can be utilised quickly is one that has routing flexibility. For example a CD/DVD manufacturing facility may have a number of manufacturing units in standby mode until their capacity is required. When not required units can be shut down rapidly. This makes a manufacturing plant more efficient.

The example below shows a CD/DVD manufacturing plant. It has two production lines. Each production line is automated and can be activated very quickly. For example, if there is a need to increase the manufacture of a new music CD, both production lines can be used. Also, if there is a need to speed up any stage of manufacture, for instance the screen printing of each completed CD - then the screen printing bay of each production line can be used. This system has built in flexibility.

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