5S is one of the best tools that
can be applied in a company that is starting to get into the continuous
improvement culture. It helps to define the first rules to eliminate waste and
maintain a work environment that is efficient, safe, and clean.
The good news is that 5S easy for
everyone to start using, as it doesn’t require technical analysis, and can be
implemented globally in all types of companies, ranging from manufacturing
plants to offices, small businesses to large multinational organizations, and
in both, the private and public sectors. Its simplicity, practical
applicability and visual nature make it an engaging aid for operators,
directors, and customers alike.
5S is the perfect tool to identify
the first improvement projects in your company to eliminate waste. Although
sometimes viewed as a housekeeping technique, it is an innovative management system that helps people think lean, paving the way for the adoption of Lean
principles in the organization.
And here’s the best part:
implementing 5S is a breeze! With this logical, step-by-step guide, you’ll
learn what the big deal about 5S is, how to devise an action plan for 5S
implementation, and how best to wield this powerful tool for improving
productivity, elimination of wasteful processes, and all-around development!
Step #1: How Well Is Your Business Doing?
Let’s perform a test, first. If you
answer yes to any of the following questions, you may find 5S useful and
effective:
1. Do people in your workplace struggle to
locate documents or files, whether in physical or digital format?
2. Are there loose, sagging electrical cables
at the workplace?
3. Are there files, drawers, and cabinets at
the workplace that is unlabeled or with unmarked content that is hard to
identify?
4. Is valuable space taken up by useless
items?
5. Are there papers in your workplace that
are not used and are gathering dust?
6. Does everybody know how to keep the
workplace organized and are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities?
If you answered yes to any of these
questions, 5S may be exactly what you need!
Step #2: The 5S Methodology: Broken Down
What Does 5S Stand For?
The label ‘5S’ refers to a set of
five terms borrowed from Japanese, all beginning with the letter ‘s’ when
transliterated. The equivalent terms in English also begin with an ‘s’. In
essence, these 5 terms represent the five steps toward operational and process
excellence, and are elaborated as follows:
1. Sort: Separate
tools required, materials, and instructions from those that are not needed.
Remove everything that is not necessary from the work area.
2. Store: Sort and
organize all tools, equipment, files, data, material, and resources for quick,
easy location, and use. Label all storage locations, tools, and equipment.
3. Shine: Set new
standards for cleanliness. Clean and remove all trash, grease, and dirt.
Everything must be clean, tidy, and neatly put in its appropriate place.
Cleanliness provides a safe work-area and makes potential problems noticeable,
e.g. equipment leaks, loose parts, missing guards, loose paperwork, materials.
4. Standardize: Engage the
workforce to systematically perform steps 1, 2, & 3 above daily, to
maintain the workplace in perfect condition as a standard process. Establish schedules and set expectations for
adherence.
5. Sustain: Make 5S
part of your culture, and incorporate it into the corporate philosophy. Build
organizational commitment so that 5S becomes an organizational “value” or
expectation so everyone develops 5S as a habit.
Integrate the 5S methodology into
the performance management system.
Step #3: The Action Plan
You can start implementing 5S by
providing training to your staff to understand the system. This may be
followed-up with one-day sessions with each employee\team to ensure they are on
the same page as far as implementation is concerned.
In the first one-day session, employees
should look forward to and be expected to meet the first 3S requirements:
1. Take a picture of the current status of
your workplace
2. Sort: Separate anything that is needed and
necessary from what is not needed
3. Organize the things you need so that there
is a place for everything and everything has a place. You should be able to
find anything in under 30 seconds (Store)
4. Clean the workplace and get rid of things
that make it difficult to maintain cleanliness, such as boxes on the floor that
prevent you from being able to clean the entire surface –store them in drawers,
instead. (Shine)
5. Prepare an action plan for the stuff that
you cannot arrange that day, but will be able to shortly. As a means of
disposal, you could consider selling them on the marketplace, have someone pick
them up for free, or schedule a review as a reminder.
6. Take a second picture after the entire
day’s work, for review.
Step #4: Standardize
During the second one day session,
two weeks later, employees should take the third picture and compare it to the
first two shots. You may set-up peer audits to check how the 5S principles are
being met and to ensure the plan is moving forward. Define together ways to
standardize the improvements through time: organize cleaning schedules, define
roles and responsibilities, and prepare written procedures or diagrams to help
everyone remember what to do.
Step #5: Sustain
On the third one day session, 2
months later, check how the workplace looks like with another peer review and
make sure the 5S are sustained by checking if defined schedules are being met
and procedures followed by everyone.
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