What is 5S ?
If your company is like most organizations today, you’re searching for a competitive edge. Something that will reduce costs, increase sales and make you more agile in a changing business environment. Well you’ve found it.
Simply put, 5S is a systematic approach to workplace organization. But it’s also much more than that. 5S is about efficiency, competitiveness and survival.
It is a deceptively simple system that creates an organized and productive workplace.
But it’s not just about cleaning up and eliminating toolboxes. 5S creates a workplace environment that can adapt and succeed in these turbulent times.
Chaos and unproductively are your enemies; organization and efficiency are your allies.
If implemented correctly and followed diligently, 5S will lead to:
• Lower costs
• Better quality
• Improved safety
• Increased productivity
• Higher employee satisfaction
From the offices of upper management to the workstations in the factory, the power of this system will quickly reveal itself in your bottom line.
5S is sometimes called the five pillars because just like the physical pillars that hold up a structure, 5S has five elements that support the effectiveness of the system. And just like the pillars of a building, if one was to weaken or fail, the entire structure would fall.
THE FIVE PILLARS OF 5S
• Sort (Seiri) – Eliminate all the things in the workspace that are not being used and store them away.
• Set in Order (Seiton) – Arrange the items used on a daily basis so that they can be easily accessed and quickly stored.
• Shine (Seiso) – Everything is cleaned and functioning properly.
• Standardize (Seiketsu) – Develop a routine for sorting, setting and shining.
• Sustain (Shitsuke) – Create a culture that follows the steps on a daily basis.
Originally developed by Hiroyuki Hirano for manufacturing companies in Japan (the original Japanese names of the five pillars are in parentheses), the principles of 5S translate well to the laboratory, the repair facility, and even the corporate office. Almost any workplace environment will benefit from the structure and
efficiency that this model provides.
5S is a system, a philosophy and a culture. The true power of 5S reveals itself when your whole organization embraces its ideals and your employees see that your business is transforming itself.
SORT
The first pillar of the 5S system is Sort. Sort is the process of removing all the items that are not needed for current production from the workspace. The goal is to eliminate all of the unneeded tools and materials and to create a space that is free of clutter- this allows for a workflow free from distraction.
Identifying unneeded parts and tools is not always an easy task. Employees and managers get so used to the chaos that they don’t even see it anymore. 5S has an effective tool that will help you with your sort – it’s called the Red-Tag Strategy.
The red-tag strategy is a great way to identify all of the objects that need to be removed from the workplace. When you see something that you think may need to be removed, you literally put a red tag on it. This is a flag that lets everyone know that this item needs to be evaluated.
SET IN ORDER
You begin the next phase of 5S only when the Sort phase is complete. The Set in Order phase will be useless if there is unnecessary clutter in the workspace. Set in Order is the process of putting everything in a place so that it is easy to get to and easy to put away. Everything should have a home and it should be clearly marked so that anyone could easily find its place.
Some guidelines to consider:
• If items are used together, store them together.
• Put the frequently used items closest to the user.
• If possible, devise a let-go system in which tools are attached to a retractable cord and automatically go back to stored position.
• Place items so that the user’s twisting and bending is kept at a minimum when accessing them.
• Arrange tools and materials in order of use.
The Set in Order pillar utilizes several different strategies to accomplish its goals.
1. The Signboard Strategy uses signboards to indicate where the workplace items are to be stored, which items are to be stored there, and exactly how many items belong there. Shelves, tubs, drawers – any storage place or container should be clearly labeled.
2. Painting Strategy is used to clearly mark walkways from working areas.Separating operational areas from walking areas allows for a safer and smoother flow of goods in the facility.Although it is called the painting strategy, most often colored tape is used for versatility. Divider lines can be used indicate aisle direction, door range, portable equipment storage locations and hazardous areas.
3. Outlining Strategy creates a visual home for your tools. Each tool has an outline drawn of the tool so that you know exactly where it goes, and so that you also know when a tool is missing.
SHINE
In this step, Shine literally means to remove all the dirt and the grime and to keep it that way on daily basis. You want to get it clean and keep it clean.When you implement this step, two things will happen. First, your employees will love coming to work in such a clean and bright environment. And second, because you are keeping the equipment and your surroundings in such great shape, you will have fewer injuries and fewer equipment breakdowns. And that means greater productivity and fewer costs.
STANDARDIZE
The clutter is gone. You’ve created a great system of organization. Your shop is spotless. Now you need a system that will integrate the first three pillars and make sure that they get done correctly.
Standardize creates a system of tasks and procedures that will ensure that the principles of 5S are performed on a daily basis.
We all have our own way of doing things. This kind of individuality is great in our personal lives because it makes life much more interesting and fun.
But non-conformity can be unproductive in the workplace. If your employees started doing things their own way, then things will start to get missed and conditions will slowly start to deteriorate.
The Standardize pillar seeks to create a set of schedules and checklists that can be easily followed so that each step is performed exactly the same way every day. Each employee knows what he needs to do, when he needs to do it, and exactly how to do it. There is no room for uncertainty.
SUSTAIN
Once you start the 5S model in your place of business, you will see the improvements very quickly. But the key to key to long term success is simple – diligence.
Sustain is the final pillar of the 5S system and its chief objective is to give your staff the commitment and motivation to follow each step, day in and day out.
Have you ever gone on a diet to lose a few pounds? In the beginning, you really keep at it. You stay away from those French fries, eat more fruits and veggies, and may even go for a jog a couple of days a week. You lose six pounds in two weeks.
But inevitably, you start to slip. You’re out with friends and you indulge in dessert. Or you hit your favorite fried chicken joint. It’s only this one time, you say. Before you know it, you’re back to your old bad habits and have gained all of your weight back.
That’s just human nature. If there is nothing to keep you motivated, you will start to cut corners and slip. The fifth pillar, Sustain, is designed to keep your staff motivated and on track.
Here are some great techniques to keep your staff motivated:
- Assign the time to do it. Give your staff the time to do the steps correctly. For example, designate the fifteen minutes before lunch and shift end as Shine time. During this time, their main focus is cleaning and organizing according to their checklists.
- Start from the top. Your whole organization must be on board if 5S is going to work in the long run. If your employees see that management is not following the steps, do you think that they will continue to do it?
- Create a reward system. Have friendly competitions between departments each month and reward the winner. Buy them lunch, let them go early one day, or give them priority parking. It doesn’t have to break the bank; you just want to show them your appreciation for a job well done.
- Get everyone involved. Form a committee made up of employees and supervisors of different departments. Their job will be to oversee the implementation of 5S for a fixed period, maybe six months. Then you can rotate in new members.
- Let them see it. Posters, banners and newsletters can be a constant reminder of the importance of 5S.
