What is 5S system?
5S is a methodology to organize the workplace that was developed in Japan. The five S’s refer to the following five steps to Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain.
- Sort is to separate the necessary items from the unnecessary items required per the standard
- Set in order is to place the necessary items at the right location and in the right quantity to reduce waste
- Shine is the routine cleaning to keep the workplace or equipment clean
- Standardize is to establish standards for the first three S’s and it is consistent throughout the workplace
- Sustain is the last step to ensure the prior four S’s are maintained and continuously improved
5S is sometimes referred to as Housekeeping. However, this is highly misleading as 5S is more than that. Housekeeping is typically synonymous with cleaning and maintaining an area or place. However, this term seldom and does not emphasize the need to separate the unnecessary items from the necessary items. In addition, it also does not place an importance on the thorough thinking of the position to locate the necessary item and in the right quantity that will eliminate waste (DOWNTIME).
5S is the foundation of any continuous improvement methodology it helps organizations declutter their workplace and help employees stay more focused. It is also regarded as a way of thinking rather than just a tool. 5S should not be seen as a one-time event but as a continuous day-to-day practice of maintaining a well-organized and waste-free workplace. For 5S to be successful, it has to be led by the top management and involve every employee across the organization. When everyone in the organization practice 5S
Benefits of 5S
- Eliminate clutter in the workplace
- Improve team discipline and morale
- Improve hygiene of the workplace
- Reduced set-up time
- Reduced cycle time
- Increase floor space
- Lower safety incidents/accident rate
- Less wasted labor
- Better equipment reliability
http://leaninstituteasia.comlean-six-sigma-training/How to Implement 5S program effectively?
- Create the burning platform for implementing the 5S program
i.e What is the objective? Why do we need it? What happens if we don’t implement it? What good looks like?
- Establish a task force to drive the 5S program
i.e The role of the task force is to develop and drive a 5S implementation plan across the organization, identify quick win areas, they are the employees that have been identified as influencers and have the passion to drive change.
- Conduct 5S training workshops
Engage an experienced facilitator to conduct 5S training for the employees in the pilot area. The training should be informative, engaging and fun to ensure buy-in.
- Initiate 5S audit
The task force, together with the team of the 5S implementation area will conduct a 5S audit on the implementation area. This is to give a baseline of the 5S performance in the area. During the initial audit, “Before” photographs should be taken and compiled together with the 5S audit finding into a report.
- Conduct a ½ day to full day clear-up exercise
This is the time when the whole team, together with members of the task force implement the findings from the 5S audit report.
- Post 5S Audit
After the clear-up exercise, take “After” photographs as soon as possible to capture the workplace in its best condition and use these “After” photographs as the new standard for the area. Revisit the audit findings to check if all findings have been implemented.
- Launch new workplace
- Establish Regular preventive routine