Spaghetti Diagram
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A spaghetti diagram traces the path of movement through a workspace, revealing inefficient layouts and excessive travel.
Definition
A spaghetti diagram is a visual map of actual movement paths through a workspace—whether of people, materials, information, or products. The diagram is created by tracing the path of movement on a floor plan, resulting in lines that often resemble tangled spaghetti. This visual immediately reveals excessive travel, backtracking, crossing paths, and inefficient layouts. Spaghetti diagrams are used to analyze current state layouts and to design improved arrangements that minimize unnecessary movement.
Examples
A spaghetti diagram of an operator's movement during one cycle showed 150 feet of walking through a traditional department layout. After reorganizing into a U-shaped cell, the diagram showed only 20 feet of movement—an 87% reduction in motion waste.
Key Points
- Spaghetti diagrams make motion waste visually obvious and quantifiable
- They should trace actual movement, not assumed or designed paths
- The analysis often reveals backtracking and inefficient sequences
- Used to design improved layouts that minimize travel
Common Misconceptions
Spaghetti diagrams only apply to manufacturing. Movement happens everywhere—offices, hospitals, warehouses, service centers. Any workplace where people or things move benefits from spaghetti analysis.
One observation is enough. Movement patterns may vary by product type, situation, or worker. Multiple observations or tracking typical cycles provides more representative data.