5s will change your life and the world. Many people assume that 5s is just about being clean or organized, but they are wrong. It was created to solve a problem. We all live on this planet with universal law called entropic forces of disorder (the second law). The original intent behind the 5S manufacturing process came when Toyota found out how much time & money could be saved by reducing worker accidents, hence our name for it: “5 seconds reduce the accident rate.”
As soon as you start implementing these simple steps at work every day watch what happens. If you’re running a business, then this means keeping your space tidy. This not only helps you stay productive, but it is also good for those around you – employees will have more time to work on projects.
What is 5S?
Borrowed from Japanese and popularized by Taiichi Ohno (designer of Toyota Production System) and Shigeo Shingo (associated with the concept poka-yoke). 5S is a set of five words that starts with ‘S’ in English and in Japanese as well.
Let’s look at them one by one:
Step 1: Sort [Seiri]
In this step, the practitioner has to go through all of their equipment and determine which ones are relevant to them. They can place back any unnecessary items in a storage area or send them back with someone else if needed so that everything stays organized on-site but they know what’s important because we’re only removing stuff like tools from our workplace when necessary.
Step 2: Straighten or Set in Order [Seiton]
In this step, the 5S practitioner has to re-organize their workplace after eliminating unnecessary tools and equipment. Here they follow a simple philosophy: “a place for everything,” which will help other staff members locate resources easily and swiftly without getting lost in all of that mess! This concept can be applied anywhere. It is not just about sorting stuff into categories or clearing surfaces away from clutter – these principles also apply when you’re cleaning up trash behind your desk at home.
Step 3: Shine [Seiso]
This step ensures that the equipment and tools are tidy, which will be used by other staff members. If this concept is applied in information technology sectors then practitioners have responsibility for deleting all irrelevant files or folders to keep them neat-looking on file systems as well as cleaning away any unnecessary dirtiness at the workplace itself.
Step 4: Standardize [Seiketsu]
To implement Seiketsu successfully, it is important to ensure that you follow these three steps:
1) Decide on who will be responsible for establishing appropriate conditions of maintenance to maintain high levels of good housekeeping.
2) Make sure your everyday care includes making the workplace look clean and orderly by following visual controls or guidelines
3) Check if there are enough resources available so people don’t have to skip steps when maintaining the first three s’s.
The first step to being a preventive organization is knowing the difference between normal and abnormal circumstances. If something keeps happening, it’s time for prevention—and root cause analysis!
The output should be able to differentiate at a glance whether what you’re seeing falls into one category or another without any confusion about how best to handle each situation as well as provide reasons why your team needs preventative measures taken against certain problems.
Step 5: Sustain [Shitsuke]
This is the final stage in 5S implementation. Here, it’s important to make sure all tools and equipment are where they need to be as well as ensure that your workspace looks neat so you can ward off any potential hazards before them.
This becomes an integral part of company culture where each person lives by these principles from day one while moving towards becoming even better at it over time with continued hard work!
Where to apply 5S?
5S is a key component in the implementation of Lean, as it helps companies establish order and cleanliness. We’ll take an overview of how 5s apply to different instances where organizations might be implementing lean efforts with their employees or customers – from factories throughout Asia up through retail locations such as grocery stores.
Get your team to have fun at work!
As a leader, you are well aware that people will be more inclined to accept change when they have ownership of it. Choose one department or unit where your company could implement 5S for visual improvements first! If data is heavy with this organization then implement five S procedures throughout the workspace including, storage and management techniques- conduct introductory training sessions as needed so employees can learn about these new tools at work (and how much easier their jobs become). Encourage post-training by focusing on two key elements:
- Applying two tools from 5S immediately after class.
- Reporting back resources that were used together.
- If any other changes should take place, make sure everyone knows best practices.
Get organized, fast. ( Step 1 – Sort )
“This should be treated as a waste reduction activity – eliminate unwanted things. Keep tools and resources that are needed frequently within reach.”
“Review consolidation of workspaces to improve productivity e.g., combining all the lathe machines in one area reduces supervision.”
Set the workplace or storage space in Order! (Step 2 – Set in Order)
This step is about arranging everything in order. PEEP – Place for Everything and Everything in its place! Assign sections with different frequencies of use, ensure minimal maintenance by assigning specific tasks to each task based on their frequency of execution or communicability (ease-of-access). Blend mistake-proofing into your setup by creating directories that can be reached easily using one click saves time when accessing files from any level within the directory structure Minimal supervision is required since most accidents happen while moving around equipment during setup.
Make sure you define a file system so the type data stored will remain consistent across all folders below this topmost layer without having extra copies cluttering things up too much.
Make sure your workplace shines! (Step 3 – Shine)
Tidy up the workspace before you leave! This is like going to a self-service restaurant. It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep their work area clean and tidy – no stray papers, unwanted tools, or equipment around either at all levels of office settings for managers as well. Before signing off on your shift make sure everything has been checked including scanners/printers so there are no surprises later when people start working again tomorrow morning.
Be more productive with a standard workspace. (Step 4 – Standardize)
Implementing a 5S walkthrough is an important, but challenging task. Make sure to document all processes and timelines for Seiso activities as they become clear during the process so that there will be no surprises when teams complete them later on in their respective work sessions with you or one another if necessary. With this information at hand, it’ll help ensure everyone is held accountable for any misses along the way and also, establish new habits of diligence by using visual management tools like huddles which can create an even deeper cultural impact than just words alone ever could over time.
Sustain the 5S Practices! (Step 5 – Sustain)
Sustaining and maintaining the 5S initiative is vital to ensure it continues. Leaders must continue speaking with their teams on sustaining schedules, protocols documented in advance by management or agreed upon between employees who maintain these standards will be wasted if not followed accordingly.
1. Team meetings and floor walks are a great way to get an understanding of the new arrangements that have been made. Interact with teams, ask them about their thoughts on what’s going well in these protocols as well as any areas where change would help out most.
2. You can also conduct cross audits so each team gets feedback from another group members’ perspective before deciding how best to approach it internally or externally.
3. Make sure you focus on improvement-based audit findings rather than gaps because this will ensure employees feel more invested when they receive results back.
For leadership’s sake – 5S practices must become part of performance measures every year through re-energizing everyone.
Five S Technique is a method for organizing the workplace by eliminating objects that are no longer required, arranging items to maximize productivity and flow, cleaning environments more easily recognize issues with color-coding, or labeling them according to standards established in other areas. Learning various Lean/Six Sigma tools requires training but some companies need certain individuals at higher levels certified too so they know how it works best within their organization’s culture.
If you’re looking to improve your organization with a lean, Six Sigma methodology but don’t know where to start or how it would work in your company’s culture, let us help. We offer certifications for Lean/Six Sigma tools and can also train employees on the most effective ways of implementing these techniques within their business.
Learn more about Lean Methodologies directly from our experts!