| Factors | Fixed layout | Product layout | Process layout | Cellular layout | |
| A. | Material Travel | Fixed path | Variable path | Often high path | Variable path |
| B. | Process | Ship building | Continuous and repetitive | Job or small batch | Small to medium batch |
| C. | Product | Made to order, low volume | Standardized product | Diversified products using common operations | Diversified products |
| D. | Utilization of Facilities | Moderate | Very high | General purpose | High |
| Factors | Fixed Position | Product (Line) | Process (Functional) | Cellular (GT) |
| Product | Made to Order, Low Volume | Standardized Product, Large Volume, Stable Rate of Output | Diversified Products using common operations, Varying volumes, Varying Rate of Output | Diversified Products, Varying volumes |
| Process | Ship building, large scale project, construction or industrial project | Continuous, and repetitive | Job or small batch | Small to medium batch |
| Arrangement of facilities | Facilities move where the fixed product/project is being implemented | Placed along the line of product flow in a specialized sequence of tasks for each unit | Grouped by speciality and by function | Similar parts are grouped in part-family; one machines cell is formed which contains all facilities needed by corresponding part-family |
| Cost of layout | General purpose equipment. Moderate to low | Large investment in specialized equipment and processes. | General purposes equipment and processes. Moderate to high | Moderate to low |
| Inventory | Variable inventories and frequent tie-ups because production cycle is generally long. | High turnover of raw material and work in process | Low turnover of raw material and work in process. High raw material inventory | High turnover of raw material and lower work in process |
| Material handling | Flow variable, often low. May require heavy duty handling equipment | Predictable, flow systemized and often automated | Flow variable, handling often duplicated | Flow variable, can be reasonably high |
| Material travel | Variable path | Fixed path | Often high | Fixed path |
| Utilization of facilities | Moderate | Very high | General purposes | High |
| Operating facilities | General purpose | Special purpose | Skilled | Special purpose |
| Employee skill | Unskilled/skilled | Unskilled | Ski lled | Multi-skilled as one operator may handle more than one operation |
| Quality/Product Variety Ratio | Normally 1, as single product production | Large (Q/P) | Moderate (Q/P) | Small (Q/P) |
| Product Cost | Relatively low fixed costs; high | Relatively high fixed costs; low unit costs | Relatively low fixed costs; high | Reasonable level of fixed costs; relatively |