The associate administrator at Getwell Hospital wants to evaluate the layout of the outpatient clinic. Table 10.7 shows the interdepartmental flows (patients/day) between departments; Figure 10.15 shows the current layout.

a. Determine the effectiveness of the current layout, as measured by the total weighted-distance score, using rectilinear distances.
b. Try to find the best possible layout on the basis of the same effectiveness measure.
c. What is the impact on your new solution if it must be revised to keep department 1 at its present location?
d. How should the layout developed in part (c) be revised if the interdepartmental flow between the examining room and the X-ray department is increased by 50 percent? decreased by 50 percent?

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TABLE 10.7 Trip Matrix TRIPS BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS DEPARTMENT 1. Reception 2. Business office 3. Examining room 4. X-ray 5. Laboratory 6. Surgery 20 15 10 25 25 2535 5 10 15 20 30 20 25 15 20 40 15 8. Doctor's office