What is 5S :
5S is one of the most widely adopted techniques from the lean manufacturing toolbox. Along with Standard Work and
Total Productive Maintenance, 5S is considered a "foundational" lean concept, as it establishes the operational stability required for making and sustaining continuous improvements.
The primary objective of 5S is to create a clean, orderly environment- an environment where there is a place for everything and everything is in its place. Beyond this, many companies begin their lean transformation with 5S because it exposes some of the most visible examples of waste it also helps establish the framework and discipline required to successfully pursue other continuous improvement initiatives.
Target Outcomes and Benefits
• Reduce non-value adding activity
• Reduce mistakes from employees and suppliers
• Reduce time for employee orientation and training
• Reduce search time in navigating the facility and locating tools, parts and supplies
• Reduce parts stored in inventory, and associated inventory carrying costs
• Reduce unnecessary human motion and transportation of goods
• Improve floor space utilization
• Improve employee safety and morale
• Improve product quality
• Extend equipment life through more frequent cleaning and inspection
Sort refers to the practice of going through all the tools, materials, etc., in the work area and keeping only essential
items. Everything else is either stored offsite or discarded. This leads to fewer hazards and less clutter.
The goal is to eliminate nonessential items from the workplace. Items are “red tagged” and stored in a local red tag area for a specific period of time, typically five days. If not reclaimed by the work group, items are then moved to one of the company’s central red tag areas. Here everyone can sift through the items to see if there is anything they need.
When items have been in the central area for a specific period of time, the company disposes of them through resale, donation, recycling, or trash.
Establishing red tag criteria prevents confusion among workers and reduces wasted effort. The team should discuss and create guidelines on how to decide what stays and what goes.
Frequency of use is the fundamental red tag criteria. To that end, a team may ask the following questions:
• What is this?
• When did you last use it?
• Is it critical or unique for the department?
• If its inventory, is this the minimal amount needed to keep up with the production schedule?
In order to implement S1-Sort, there are action steps that need to be taken in order to guarantee success.
• Select a 5S application area and take “before” pictures.
• Review sorting criteria – recommended criteria are frequency of use, criticality, and quantity needed for
production.
• Create a red tag area – mark off a corner or space to identify it as the local red tag area.
• Tag, record, and move items to the red tag area – keep records so that the company can track assets.
• Take “after” pictures of the uncluttered work area and red tag area.
• Items not reclaimed by the work group within a set amount of days are moved to the company’s central red tag area.
S2 – SHINE
The S2-Shine step includes three primary activities which include getting the workplace clean, maintaining its
appearance, and using preventative measures to keep it clean.
Shine the workplace by eliminating dirt, dust, fluids, and other debris. Each team member should be equipped with adequate cleaning supplies that have been tested to make sure the solution will not harm any equipment or work areas. Teams can clean things such as equipment, tools, work surfaces, desks, storage areas, floors, lighting, and anything else that affects overall cleanliness. A team may also paint or coat work surfaces, equipment, floors, and walls.
Treat cleaning as an inspection process. Use it to identify even tiny abnormal and pre-failure conditions. Working in a clean environment enables workers to notice malfunctions in equipment such as leaks, vibrations, breakages, and misalignments. The Shine process should not be left for a special janitorial crew.
In order to make sure everyone participates and works together, each team should establish a regular schedule for routine cleaning as well as deep cleaning.
Once the work area, tools, and equipment are clean, they need to be kept that way. Continued housekeeping is one way to keep the work area clean, but the better method is to prevent things from getting dirty in the first place. Find ways to keep the workplace clean by eliminating sources of contamination. Root cause analysis, mistake-proofing, and the use of preventative measures are important to keep the workplace clean and orderly.
Equipment that is kept clean performs more efficiently, has less unscheduled downtime, and reduces costs to the company. Many organizations find that safety and productivity improve as regular maintenance and housekeeping become the norm.
S3 – SET IN ORDER
Planning Phase
In S3 Set In Order, team members come together and share the insights they have gained during S1 and S2. They analyze the work area for additional improvement opportunities and look for ways to reduce sources of waste and error as well as to make the workplace more visually instructive. The team brainstorms potential solutions, with special emphasis on using visual resources to achieve improvement. Be sure to get feedback and stakeholders (production, maintenance, safety, management, etc) before making changes.
S3 – SET IN ORDER
Implementation Phase
S3’s Implementation Phase includes establishing features in the workplace that make it clear that there’s a place for everything and that provide visual signals to help people succeed. It focuses on the need for arranging tools and equipment in an order that promotes optimum work flow.
Having designated locations for all items in the work area enables employees to take control over their operations.
Employees will be able to immediately see if things are out of place and if more materials, supplies, or tools need to be ordered.
S4 – STANDARDIZE
During this phase of implementation, the team identifies ways to establish the improved workplace practices as a standard. The goal of standardization is to create best practices and to get each team member to use the established best practices the same way.
In order to standardize, roles and responsibilities must be clearly and consistently applied. This can be accomplished through visual controls such as color-coding, flow charts, checklists, and labeling to help reinforce a uniformed approach.
Managers and supervisors need to commit to the initiative in order to provide guidance, as well as to provide general support to the team. Team members in return must embrace 5S principles and practices in order to help implement these changes into their work area.
As 5S standards are adopted into each individual work area, each locale will develop unique approaches and methods to accomplishing the specified tasks and goals. Any team member working in a specific area must receive training in that specified approach and method of work. Where possible, the tools used to standardize and sustain the 5S effort should be unified across all areas of the plant.
Action steps for implementing S4 – Standardize include:
• Brainstorm ideas for making the 5S changes standard operating procedure. That may mean updating workplace procedures, checklists, job aids, diagrams and the like.
• Update documentation to reflect the changes. If your company has an ISO Coordinator, get the person involved to assure compliance with ISO requirements.
• Make sure all stakeholders are aware of the new standard – inform and educate.
S5 – SUSTAIN
The purpose of S5-Sustain is to maintain the momentum generated during the initial event or project. A management auditing process should be put into practice to ensure that employees understand that maintaining the level of workplace organization is a top priority. Management audits should focus on ensuring that the routines and schedules specified in S4 Standardize are being properly maintained. The audit also provides an excellent opportunity for asking questions and providing suggestions that stimulate further improvements.
Next, the 5S effort needs to be expanded to other work areas. Use the 5S’ed work area as a model for emulation, and invite the original 5S team to share their ideas and experiences with employees from other work areas. Be sure to publicize success stories and provide appropriate recognition to team members. 5S newsletters, displays, and awards are excellent ways to build employee morale and motivation.
Finally, it should be reinforced that 5S is an on-going journey. Workers should be encouraged to continue to make improvements to their workplace on a regular basis. The same work area might even be scheduled for a follow-up 5S event six months or a year later. Continuous improvement must become part of the routine expectations and activities of the work day. When improvement stops, the likelihood is that workplace organization will not just stagnate, but will actually deteriorate. To avoid that, keep everyone continually looking for ways to improve their work conditions.
Action steps for implementing S5 - Sustain
• Audit to ensure that processes established during S4– Standardization continue to be maintained.
• Use the phase 1 work area as a model for other areas to match, and have the original 5S team share their
insights and experiences with employees in other work areas.
• Use newsletters, displays and other communication tools to publicize successes and reward strong efforts with recognition.
• Evaluate 5S effectiveness and continue to improve. Conduct regular review meetings to identify additional 5S opportunities.
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