A spaghetti diagram is a physical map of a workspace with the actual movement paths of operators or work items drawn on top. The name comes from what the finished diagram looks like: a tangle of overlapping lines.
How to make one
- Print or sketch the floor plan of the workspace.
- Pick one operator (or one work item) to follow.
- Walk with them for one full cycle, tracing every step on the plan.
- Repeat for other cycles or other operators, using different colours.
What you'll see
- Where operators walk further than needed.
- Where paths cross - potential collisions and hazards.
- Where the same trip is made repeatedly (a candidate for eliminating or batching).
- Where tools or materials are stored far from the point of use.
What to do about it
Redesign the layout. Move frequently-used items closer. Straighten the flow. A well-designed cell can cut walking time by 70%+ - which shows up directly as reduced Motion waste and improved cycle time.