Integrating Vaastu and Feng Shui Principles in the Decision Model for Optimal Facility Layout

  Estimating   Manufacturing   Organizational Project Management   Knowledge Shelf  

Abstract
Vaastu Shastra and Feng Shui are both ancient and sacred bodies of knowledge from Hindu and Chinese origins respectively, revealing the connection between humans and the dwellings they inhabit (Wikipedia, n.d.).

Organizations in India, China, and some other countries have started to recognize the benefits of having a Vaastu- or Feng Shui-compliant work environment, be it office buildings or manufacturing units. Incorporating these principles in facility design is believed to help attain equilibrium between man and nature. It has now become important to strike the right balance between Vaastu Shastra/Feng Shui principles, technology, and operational efficiency for harnessing the energies of earth.

Insofar as Vaastu and Feng Shui are important for having a balanced work environment, proper layout planning is critical for having an effective work flow at the facility and attaining a higher operational efficiency. However, a plant layout, which is governed by various technical factors including process flow, often conflicts with Vaastu/Feng Shui considerations, necessitating a decision tool that allows optimal balance of technical and Vaastu/Feng Shui factors.

The objective of the current study is to use Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) for determining the most optimum plant layout to achieve the above objective. For the illustration of the methodology, a case …

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