Model-related Research Process

This subsection is relevant for all ROs. The following two paragraphs provide an overview and are followed by explanations about the model-related research process, while some concepts are briefly described.

The limitations of today’s factories emerged mainly from the interviews. These and further interview data built the main basis for deeper analyses. For these analyses, a new model for factory planning was required. The model and associated concepts were developed and applied (RO1) in order to research and assess the capabilities and limitations of the developed factory concepts (RO2 and RO4). RO1- and RO2-results (i.e. the model and associated concepts, and the limitations of today’s factories) are required to define the TAS-requirement profile (RO3).

The models’ associated concepts (mainly BFPSs, eBFPCs and difficulty factors, which play their part in the interplay of eBFPCs and BFPSs) were developed and combined to show which transformation requirements occur in each BFPS. The area of each developed factory concept (i.e. a terrestrial area or TAS) is encompassed by the BFPSs, which allows the analysis of the importance of terrestrial areas and TASs for factory planning. This is possible if the capabilities of today’s factories and TFCs are considered (i.e. their transformability and FPP-capabilities). Transformation enablers, accelerators and fundamental enablers were applied to assess the capabilities and limitations of the developed factory concepts within the different BFPSs.

The BFPSs build the framework of the model. Site selection is decisive for the location, as the location is determined in the case of today’s factories. Required location changes and extensive transformation requirements can thus lead to problems. The fact that transformation requirements come up during Greenfield projects (Sredic, 2011) and that initial configurations of today’s factories are crucial for their further developments (Hernández, 2002; Friese, 2008; Erlach, 2013)

4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

undeveloped areas is crucial and that problems occur more when areas are occupied, as UHPs often do not have such areas (at least in their centre). This led to the assumption that built-up/overbuilt/covered areas are the starting point for UHPs, and that the limited transformability of terrestrial areas is the main reason for factories developing into UHPs. The model and concepts’ development process and the analyses of different real-world factories and their developments began with these assumptions. These analyses were based on numerous factory layouts which show these factories at different points in time. Several OEM and SME factories were analysed. The analyses indicated the impacts of dynamic factory developments and the dynamics in factory planning. The author has realised that factories follow developmental stages, and that the impacts of transformation requirements differ for each development stage. Consequently, the BFPSs were developed, which built the main basis for the one-to-one conversations and interviews. The initial layout analyses provided a basis for further research and deeper analyses. Further layout analyses were performed in phases 2 and 3, and these analyses have revealed the same patterns. Thus, it could be validated that new and modern factories follow the same overarching developments as the initially analysed factories, which was furthermore validated through all interviews.

The results of these analyses are summarised in appendix 4.3.2. Reading this appendix is recommended.

The eBFPCs lead to different transformation impacts/impacts on a factory, depending on the achieved BFPS (and the general structure). BFPSs therefore provided a framework for the interview analyses, where the interview data and results could be sorted. This was because the real-world factory projects and further real-world interview data could then be allocated to the appropriate BFPS.

The interviewees described real-world factory project cases and their impacts on factories. Each case occurred in a specific BFPS, which enabled this allocation of data and the enhancement of BFPCs. Furthermore, data for the development of difficulty factors were provided by the interviewees and used to indicate and distinguish the different impacts of the real-world factory project cases for each BFPS. Thus, interview data enabled the conceptualisation of difficulty factors, which

4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

additionally enhanced the eBFPCs. This describes the extended model-functionality which emerged from the interviews and the grounded theory-based approach. The following circumstances also belong to this extended model-functionality: The model (and associated concepts) is able to indicate the meaning of the developed factory concepts for factory planning. Factory concepts have different impacts on inhibitors, as factory concepts have different impacts on transformability and FPP-capabilities.

The capabilities and limitations of the developed factory concepts were assessed using transformation enablers, accelerators and fundamental enablers. Their transformability can be assessed with transformation and fundamental enablers, and their FPP-capabilities can be assessed with accelerators and fundamental enablers, while transformability impacts on FPPs. Both this and the fact that fundamental enablers impact on both transformation enablers/units and accelerators/acceleration units indicate the importance of fundamental enablers for factory planning (and that the importance of transformation enablers has decreased throughout and because of this research project). The application of transformation enablers and accelerators leads to the formation of transformation and acceleration units, while fundamental enablers have an overarching status because they provide all-encompassing information about area and substructure characteristics and capabilities in a current factory status (e.g. an achieved BFPS) for each of the developed factory concepts. Thus, fundamental enablers are understood as variables which involve and describe a range of possibilities, and depending on their availability and characteristics/capabilities, impact on transformation enablers/units and accelerators/acceleration units. Fundamental enablers (except for the fundamental enabler ‘movable area size’ (MAS)) are generally not formed into fundamental units, as this is often not possible and/or reasonable. The designation fundamental unit(s) is not used. The extent to which it is possible and reasonable to form fundamental units crosses a philosophical border and is not analysed further. Acceleration and transformation units are only formed to the required extent. The MAS has a special role and importance in this context:

4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

involve ranges from e.g. 16 m² to entire building footprints and larger structures.

The MAS(s) significantly impacts the capabilities and limitations of the developed factory concepts, and determines chiefly their transformability and how difficult and strenuous the required FPPs of these factory concepts are, as sub- and superstructures can be moved/relocated through the MAS (and thus ‘area and substructure characteristics’, which are a further fundamental enabler).

From a BFPS-related perspective, this means that the transformability and FPP-capabilities of the developed factory concepts change throughout the BFPSs, as areas and area and substructure characteristics change. These areas and characteristics impact particularly on fundamental enablers, which aggregate the transformability and FPP-capabilities of the developed factory concepts. BFPSs provide information about current factory statuses (static), and in combination with eBFPCs and difficulty factors indicate the required transformations/transformation requirements (dynamic). If and how these requirements can be met and processed (i.e. through which FPPs) depends on the factory concept (always in the context of the reached BFPS). Fundamental enablers, transformation enablers/units and accelerators/acceleration units indicate (dynamic) possibilities of the developed factory concepts in terms of transformability and FPPs within these statuses/BFPSs, e.g. how/through which FPPs displacements can be processed in order to meet transformation requirements. Details about these circumstances are provided throughout section 6.1, which explains the eBFPCs and difficulty factors, and sections 6.2 and 6.3, in which the model and associated concepts are applied.

Further details about the model and associated concepts are provided in chapter 5.

Further details about their development are provided in subsections 4.3.3 and section 5.4.

To define factory- and transformability-related requirements is also possible with fundamental enablers, transformation enablers/units and accelerators/acceleration units (as these can be assessed with these concepts), which is relevant for RO3.

These concepts are also relevant for RO4 (and all other ROs), which can be seen in the following.

4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY