A facilities design should accomplish this goal in terms of material handling, personnel and equipment utilization, reduced inventories, and increased quality. If an organization continually updates its production operations to be as efficient and effective as possible, then there must be continuous relayout and rearrangement activity in progress. Only in very rare situations can a new process or piece of equipment be introduced into a system without disrupting ongoing activities. A single change may have a significant impact on integrated technological, management, and personnel systems, resulting in suboptimization problems that can only be avoided or resolved through the redesign of the facility. By incorporating vital health and safety measures into the initial design phase, the employer may avoid fines for unsafe conditions and losses in both money and man- power resulting from industrial accidents.
Energy conservation is another major motivation for the redesign of a facility.
Energy has become an important and expensive raw material. Equipment, procedures, and materials for conserving energy are introduced to the industrial market- place as fast as they can be developed. Community rules and regulations regarding noise, air pollution, and liquid and solid waste disposal are frequently cited as reasons for the installation of new equipment that requires modification of facilities and systems operating policies. Pilferage is yet another major and growing problem in many industries today. Several billion dollars' worth of merchandise is stolen annually from manufacturing companies in the United States.