5S

What is 5S?

5S was developed by Hiroyuki Hirano in post-war Japan, where it was famously utilized by Toyota. 5S is a five-step methodology that creates a more organized and productive workspace. So work can be performed efficiently, effectively, and safely. 5S involves assessing everything present in a space, removing what's unnecessary, organizing things logically, performing housekeeping tasks, and keeping this cycle going. Organize, clean, repeat.

The 5S methodology is best summarized by the philosophy, “a place for everything and everything in its place.” The 5S quality tool is derived from five Japanese terms beginning with the letter "S" used to create a workplace suited for visual control and lean production. The pillars of 5S are simple to learn and important to implement:

Sort

The first step of 5S, Sort, involves going through all the tools, furniture, materials, equipment, etc. in a work area to determine what needs to be present and what can be removed.  Separate necessary items (e.g., tools, parts, and materials) from unnecessary items. We recommend sorting items into four categories:

Items needed in this work area. These are items you know that you regularly use in the context of this work area and thus will stay in this work area.

Items needed in another work area. These are typically misplaced items. If an item is used in another work area, “sort” it into that area by delivering it to the team member responsible for that work area.

Items you may need. For items you are unsure about, use the 5S “red tag” system. Mark such items with red tags, which at a minimum, should include the name of who tagged the item, why it is thought to no longer be needed, a proposed review date, and the name of the manager who must approve of disposal. Move the item to a red tag holding area, which should be organized by review month to make it easy to manage the area.

Items you do not need. These are items that you are 100% confident are not needed. They should be immediately discarded, recycled, or donated, or sold if in good condition.

Examples of Sort

·        Remove waste (or muda) from your workspace.

·        Discard broken or old parts using 5S red tags.

·        Responsibly recycle materials and papers.

·        Separate everyday tools from special-case tools.

·        Avoid overfilling your workspace with excess materials.

·        Create an overflow area outside of the workspace for duplicate materials, tools, and parts.

Set in Order

Once the extra clutter is gone, it’s time to decide how you want to organize them. We recommend the following methodology:

1.      Provide easy access to frequently used items. The key to reducing waste from excess motion is to place frequently used items within easy reach.

2.      Group like items. Group the remaining items into logical categories and brainstorm the best way to organize and store each of these categories.

3.      Utilize visual designs. For each group, decide on the best way to make it clear when an item is missing or misplaced. A classic example is creating a shadow board for tools.

4.      Use containers. If it is appropriate for the type of item, consider organizing it within a container.

5.      Unleash the labeler. If an item is too big to put into a container, consider giving it a frame and putting a label on the item in addition to the frame.

6.      Be agile. Your initial straighten pass will likely deliver a significant improvement - but you are also likely to overlook some potential improvements. Plan a 5S team meeting with a focus on straightening at the one and two week points, and brainstorm further improvements as part of your initial implementation.

Examples of Straighten:

·        Give every item a distinct “home.”

·        Use color as a way of organizing and creating meaning.

·        Integrate shadow boards and other visual indicators into the plant floor.

·        Dedicate a surface or area entirely to shadow boxes and tool storage.

·        Dedicate another surface or area entirely to working.

Shine

The Shine stage of 5S focuses on cleaning up the work area, which means sweeping, mopping, dusting, wiping down surfaces, putting tools and materials away, etc.

In addition to basic cleaning, Shine also involves performing regular maintenance on equipment and machinery. Planning for maintenance ahead of time means businesses can catch problems and prevent breakdowns. That means less wasted time and no loss of profits related to work stoppages. We recommend the following:

1.      Grab the metaphorical spray bottle. Using appropriate cleaners and cleaning tools, make the work area sparkle. With every sweep, mop, brush, wipe, wash, and wax, strive to return your workspace to its former glory.

2.      Find the source. The guiding principle of this 5S step is “clean to understand”. If there are any signs of leaks, spills, or unexpected debris, strive to understand the source. It is likely an early warning of a future problem.

3.      Inspect. After cleaning each item, take a moment to look it over and examine its condition. Does it need updating, maintenance, or repair?

Examples of Shine:

·        Wipe down equipment.

·        Examine the wear of your tools.

·        Disassemble larger objects to inspect the state of their parts.

·        Investigate a recurring unclean spot or mess.

·        Make sure to follow proper cleaning procedures to prevent damage to equipment.

Standardize

Standardize assigns regular tasks, creates schedules, and posts instructions so these activities become routines. To do so, we recommend that you:

1.      Document in pairs. Have one team member walk through each 5S task as another team member documents it to ensure nothing important is missed.

2.      Capture the essence. We are huge proponents of simplicity (and agile). Capture the essence of each task and no more. Otherwise, your documentation will be difficult to maintain.

3.      Prefer checklists. Checklists feel easy. Short checklists feel even easier. A great format is providing a name for each task that serves as a quick reminder and a more detailed description for training.

4.      Organize to simplify. Organize your checklists by role, by shift, and by frequency (daily, weekly, monthly). This will make the 5S process much less intimidating to your team.

Examples of Standardize:

·        Write down your 5S practices.

·        Create “implementation” checklists and “audit” checklists.

·        Create “kits” that contain the materials needed to perform a specific task.

·        Use photos and other simple visuals as part of your training materials.

·        Build a schedule for tasks.

Sustain

Once standard procedures for 5S are in place, businesses must perform the ongoing work of maintaining those procedures and updating them as necessary. Sustain refers to the process of keeping 5S running smoothly, but also of keeping everyone in the organization involved. We recommend you:

1.      Create a schedule. Embed 5S practices as scheduled tasks (by role, shift, and frequency).

2.      Teach through demonstration. Instruct employees on how to conduct 5S tasks through demonstration and training. Showing employees what is expected of them will prepare them to conduct tasks on their own.

3.      Supervise to solo. After initial 5S training for employees, gently supervise while they continue to form habits. It is easy to make mistakes or fall off course, so patiently and helpfully offer corrections when needed.

4.      Adapt as necessary. When giving or receiving feedback on tasks, see where changes can be made to make the tasks easier and more efficient. Standardized work is intended to be living documentation.

Examples of Sustain:

·        Hold a demonstration meeting to explain complex or multi-step processes.

·        Perform periodic check-ins after initial training.

·        Teach employees to run 5S audits.

·        Respond to mistakes with additional training.

·        Encourage supervisors and operators to communicate openly and constructively to find ways to improve your 5S implementation.

·        Set quarterly audit reminders for reviewing the red tag holding area.

Safety – The 6th S

Some companies like to include a sixth S in their 5S program: Safety. When safety is included, the system is often called 6S. The Safety step involves focusing on what can be done to eliminate risks in work processes by arranging things in certain ways. The chart below shows how the sixth S contribute to safety.

Overall, the 5S process is worth the initial organizational work for the rewards in safety, production improvement, and employee motivation.

Where can the 5S be applied?

The 5S can be applied in any type of work environment. From a small retail store to hospitals, factories, telecom companies, airports, corporate offices, restaurants etc. So, no matter which industry you are integrated with, you can implement 5S to eliminate waste and get the best output.

The basic steps of 5S can be applied to any workplace. The 5S lean method can be adapted for office settings to make information workflows more efficient. Specifically, better organization and management of information flow allows knowledge workers to make better decisions about prioritizing and executing tasks.

Who Should Participate in 5S?

All employees should participace in 5S and take ownership. some employees may play a bigger role in 5S than others. There might be 5S coordinators who are in charge of installing and maintaining 5S labeling, keeping tracking of assigned tasks, or introducing new department members to the 5S system. These people will obviously spend a lot of time thinking about 5S compared to others. Everyone should think about 5S regularly, though. 5S might initially take place as an event, but ideally it becomes a part of daily work for everyone.

It's also important to remember that company leaders should participate in 5S. When people see their superiors taking 5S seriously by participating in it, they'll be more likely to take it seriously, too.

Benefits of 5S

5S is a low-investment, high-impact lean manufacturing tool. It engages operators in “owning” their workspace and helps to instill a culture of quality, productivity, and improvement. The 5S methodology leads to many benefits including:

·        Removing unnecessary tools and equipment

·        Easy identification of tools and materials, leading to time savings

·        Improved workplace organisation and cleanliness

·        Streamlined processes and smoother workflow

·        Better asset utilization

·        Reducing waste from unnecessary motion by organizing the workspace

·        Reducing downtime and improving quality by consistently maintaining equipment

·        Increased production agility and flexibility

·        Improved employee morale and engagement

·        Reduced costs

·        Increased productivity

·        Standardised practices and procedures

·        Enhanced enterprise image to customers, suppliers, employees, and management

·        Greater employee satisfaction

·        Cultivation of a culture of continuous improvement

·        Better maintenance

·        Improved safety

Tools for 5S

1.      Red Tags: These are used to label items that are no longer needed or are not in use. Red tags help in the sorting process.

2.      Shadow boards: These are used to organize tools and equipment. The shadow board has an outline of the tool or equipment, making it easy to identify if something is missing.

3.      Visual controls: These are used to make it easy to identify the correct location for tools and equipment. Examples include color coding, labels, and signs.

4.      Cleaning checklists: These are used to ensure that the workspace is clean and tidy. The checklist helps in maintaining the shine aspect of 5S.

5.      Standardized work procedures: These are used to ensure that everyone follows the same process for performing tasks. Standardized work procedures help in the standardization aspect of 5S.

6.      Floor marking tape: This is used to mark boundaries, aisles, and storage locations. Floor marking tape helps in the set-in-order aspect of 5S.

7.      Kanban systems: These are used to manage inventory levels. A Kanban system helps maintain the right inventory level, ensuring no waste of resources.

8.      Visual management boards: These are used to display key performance indicators (KPIs) and progress toward goals. The visual management board helps in sustaining the improvements made through 5S.

Costs Involved with 5S

There are two main costs involved when starting and continuing 5S. These two costs are:

1.      Redirected Labor Cost - When starting a 5S project, many hours are used to help promote employee buy-in, discuss pitfalls and barriers, create a plan of action, etc. These hours of lost production are simply the "nature of the beast" so to speak and may easily be recouped once 5S processes have been established and plans are carried out. This is most easily looked at as a small donation, which will yield large results.

2.      Materials and Goods Costs - Many different types of materials and goods may need to be purchased and/or ordered to help make 5S a success. Some of these products may include, but are not limited to: floor tape, industrial label printers, foam tool organizers, shadow boards, shelving units, and whiteboards for warehouse mapping.

How can implement the 5S most efficiently?

The 5S is a systematic method that can be implemented very easily with a simple P-D-C-A cycle. P – Plan, D – Do, C- Check and A – Act. After identifying objectives of using the 5S in your workplace, you can plan and assign tasks, train and appoint facilitators, and prepare promotional tools. Then, you can implement the plan and take action and implement sort & identify & eliminate unnecessary items. In set in order, define what & how to arrange and implement shine to ensure cleanliness Keep a check from time to time to ensure the desired results are being delivered. At last, incorporate the practices in your culture and habit to make the change sustainable and continuous results.

Steps for 5S Implementation

·        Form a 5S Team: To begin the process of implementing 5s, it is important to establish a committed 5S team. This team will lead, coordinate, and execute the entire 5S process. The team should consist of individuals from various departments and levels within the organisation to ensure a comprehensive perspective and smooth implementation. It is essential to have representatives who understand the current workflows, processes, and challenges in different plant areas. The team will also drive the cultural change required for successful 5S implementation.

·        Executing a Gemba walk: Before diving into the 5S process, conducting an initial plant walkthrough is crucial. This involves performing a Gemba walk, which means going to the actual workspace where the work is being done. The purpose of Gemba is to observe and gather information about the current state of the plant. During the Gemba walk, the 5S team and leaders should engage with employees, ask questions, and gain insights into the existing work environment, practices, and potential improvement areas.

·        Plant Area Distribution (Zone Wise): Following a Gemba walk, the plant is segmented into various zones according to its design and the nature of tasks carried out in each section. Each zone is then assigned to a particular team member who takes charge of implementing the 5S methodology. Assigning zones to team members helps to clarify responsibilities for maintaining cleanliness and organisation, establish accountability, and promote standardisation.

·        Sorting Phase (Seiri): The Sorting phase, also known as Seiri, focuses on decluttering and eliminating unnecessary items from the workspace. Team members in each zone identify and separate items essential for the current operations from those no longer needed. Red tags are commonly used in this phase, where items marked with red tags are considered obsolete. After identifying those unnecessary items, the team decides whether to dispose of, relocate, or store them appropriately. The goal is to create a clutter-free and efficient workspace that contains only the necessary tools and materials.

·        Set In Order Phase (Seiton): In the Set In Order phase, also called Seiton, the goal is to methodically and effectively arrange the items needed for ongoing operations. During this phase, the team determines the best locations for tools, equipment, and materials. Every item is given a specific place, and visual aids like shadow boards, labels, and floor markings indicate where the items should be stored. Such an organisation reduces the time spent searching for tools and enhances overall workplace efficiency.

·        Shine Phase (Seiso): The Shine phase, or Seiso, involves cleaning and thoroughly maintaining the workspace and equipment. To achieve this, the team should create a regular cleaning schedule that involves everyone in the area. Doing so will not only improve the appearance of the workplace but also help identify potential safety hazards and equipment issues that can be resolved promptly. A clean and organised environment boosts employee morale, improves productivity, and shows a dedication to quality.

·        Standardise Phase (Seiketsu): The Standardise phase, or Seiketsu, aims to establish standardised processes and practices for 5S across all zones in the plant. The team collaboratively develops guidelines, checklists, and visual standards that clearly define the expectations for each 5S element. Standardisation ensures consistency in implementation, making it easier for employees to follow the 5S principles throughout the organisation. Regular training and communication ensure everyone understands and adheres to the established standards.

·        Sustain (Shitsuke) Phase: The Sustain phase, or Shitsuke, is the most critical step in the 5S implementation process. It involves creating a culture of continuous improvement and long-term commitment to 5S principles. The 5S team and leaders should work on reinforcing the 5S practices by providing feedback and rewarding employees who actively maintain the 5S standards. Sustaining 5S requires ongoing effort and dedication from all levels of the organisation.

·        5S Audit: The 5S audit systematically assesses each zone's adherence to the 5S principles. Audits are typically conducted at regular intervals, and they involve evaluating the condition of the workplace, compliance with standardised procedures, and overall adherence to the 5S methodology. The 5S team and representatives from other departments perform the audit using a predetermined checklist. The audit findings help identify areas that need improvement and provide insights into the effectiveness of the 5S implementation.

·        Corrective Actions on 5S Points: The final step involves taking corrective actions based on the findings of the 5S audit. Identified issues and opportunities for improvement are addressed promptly. The 5S team works with employees and leaders to implement necessary changes, reinforce training, and refine processes. Continuous improvement is at the core of this step, as the aim is to enhance the 5S practices continually and sustain a clean, organised, and efficient workplace.

Common challenges and solutions in 5S implementation

In the case of introducing the 5S methodology, organizations might meet challenges such as resistance to change, lack of employee engagement, and inconsistent adherence to standards. Here are a few strategies for preparing for and addressing these challenges: 

·        Train employees: Clearly explaining the benefits of the 5S methodology and providing proper training can help your staff better understand the purpose and value of implementing these practices. 

·        Involve employees in decisions: Engaging employees in the decision-making process gives them a sense of ownership and increases their commitment to the 5S implementation.

·        Recognize and reward employees for their efforts: Boost morale and motivation through verbal recognition, certificates, or even small incentives. By acknowledging their efforts, you create a positive work environment and encourage continued engagement.

·        Regularly review and revise the implemented procedures: The 5S methodology is not a one-time process but an ongoing journey of improvement. By continuously seeking feedback from employees and making necessary adjustments, you can maintain a sustainable and continuously improving 5S system.