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5S is a system for organizing spaces so work can be performed efficiently,

effectively, and safely. This system focuses on putting everything where it
belongs and keeping the workplace clean, which makes it easier for people to
do their jobs without wasting time or risking injury.

5S Translation In English
 Seiri Sort
 Seiton Set in Order
 Seiso Shine
 Seiketsu Standardize
 Shitsuke Sustain

Each S represents one part of a five-step process that can improve the overall
function of a business.

The Origins of 5S – 5S & Lean Manufacturing

5S began as part of the Toyota Production System (TPS), the

manufacturing method begun by leaders at the Toyota Motor Company in the
early and mid-20th century. This system, often referred to as Lean
manufacturing in the West, aims to increase the value of products or services
for customers. This is often accomplished by finding and eliminating waste
from production processes.

Lean manufacturing involves the use of many tools such as

5S, kaizen, kanban, jidoka, heijunka, and poka-yoke. 5S is considered a
foundational part of the Toyota Production System because until the workplace
is in a clean, organized state, achieving consistently good results is difficult. A
messy, cluttered space can lead to mistakes, slowdowns in production, and
even accidents, all of which interrupt operations and negatively impact a
company.

By having a systematically organized facility, a company increases the

likelihood that production will occur exactly as it should.

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Benefits of 5S

Over time, the 5S methodology leads to many benefits, including:

 Reduced costs
 Higher quality
 Increased productivity
 Greater employee satisfaction
 A safer work environment

What Are the 5 S's?

The 5S concept might sound a little abstract at this point, but in reality
it's a very practical, hands-on tool that everyone in the workplace can be a part
of.

5S involves assessing everything present in a space, removing what are

unnecessary, organizing things logically, performing housekeeping tasks, and
keeping this cycle going. Organize, clean, repeat.

Let's take a closer look at each of the parts of 5S.

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. Some questions to ask during this phase
include:

 What is the purpose of this item?

 When was this item last used?
 How frequently is it used?
 Who uses it?
 Does it really need to be here?

These questions help determine the value of each item. A workspace might
be better off without unnecessary items or items used infrequently. These
things can get in the way or take up space.

Keep in mind the best people to assess the items in a space are the people
who work in that space. They are the ones who can answer the above
questions.

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 When a group has determined that some items aren't necessary, consider
the following options:

 Give the items to a different department

 Recycle/throw away/sell the items
 Put items into storage

For cases when an item's value is uncertain—for example, a tool hasn't been
used recently, but someone thinks it might be needed in the future—use
the red tag method. Red tags are usually cardboard tags or stickers that can be
attached to the items in question. Users fill out information about the item
such as:

 Location
 Description
 Name of person applying the tag
 Date of application

Then the item is placed in a “red tag area” with other questionable items. If
after a designated amount of time (perhaps a month or two) the item hasn't
been used, it's time to remove it from the workspace. It's not worth hanging
onto things that never get used since they just take up space.

Tip: Set a reminder—on your phone or computer, or posted somewhere in the

workspace—to check back in with the red tag area so it doesn't get forgotten.

SET IN ORDER

Once the extra clutter is gone, it's easier to see what's what. Now work groups
can come up with their own strategies for sorting through the remaining items.
Things to consider:

 Which people (or workstations) use which items?

 When are items used?
 Which items are used most frequently?
 Should items be grouped by type?
 Where would it be most logical to place items?
o Would some placements be more ergonomic for workers than others?
o Would some placements cut down on unnecessary motion?
 Are more storage containers necessary to keep things organized?

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 During this phase, everyone should determine what arrangements are most
logical. That will require thinking through tasks, the frequency of those tasks,
the paths people take through the space, etc.

Businesses may want to stop and think about the relationship between
organization and larger Lean efforts. What arrangement will cause the least
amount of waste?

In Lean manufacturing, waste can take the form of:

 Defects
 Waiting time
 Extra motion
 Excess inventory
 Overproduction
 Extra processing
 Unnecessary transportation
 Unutilized talents

Tip: For the purposes of 5S, specifically consider how the layout and
organization of an area could increase/decrease waiting time, motion, and
unnecessary transportation.

SHINE

Everyone thinks they know what housekeeping is, but it's one of the easiest
things to overlook, especially when work gets busy. 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.

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 Shining the workplace might not sound exciting, but it's important. And it
shouldn't just be left up to the janitorial staff. In 5S, everyone takes
responsibility for cleaning up their workspace, ideally on a daily basis. Doing so
makes people take ownership of the space, which in the long run means people
will be more invested in their work and in the company.

Tip: How to clean may seem obvious, but make sure people know how to
properly Shine their spaces. Show employees—especially new employees—
which cleaners to use, where cleaning materials are stored, and how to clean
equipment, particularly if it's equipment that could be easily damaged.

STANDARDIZE

Once the first three steps of 5S are completed, things should look pretty
good. All the extra stuff is gone, everything is organized, spaces are cleaned,
and equipment is in good working order.

The problem is, when 5S is new at a company, it's easy to clean and get
organized…and then slowly let things slide back to the way they were.
Standardize makes 5S different from the typical spring-cleaning project.
Standardize systematizes everything that just happened and turns one-time
efforts into habits. Standardize assigns regular tasks, creates schedules, and
posts instructions so these activities become routines. It makes standard
operating procedures for 5S so that orderliness doesn't
fall by the wayside.

Depending on the workspace, a daily 5S checklist

or a chart might be useful. A posted schedule indicating
how frequently certain cleaning tasks must occur and
who is responsible for them is another helpful tool.

Initially, people will probably need reminders

about 5S. Small amounts of time may need to be set
aside daily for 5S tasks. But over time, tasks will become
routine and 5S organizing and cleaning will become a
part of regular work.

Tip: Visual cues such as signs, labels, posters, floor marking tape, and tool
organizers also play an important role in 5S. They can provide directions and
keep items in place, in many cases without words.

SUSTAIN

Once standard procedures for 5S are in place, businesses must perform

the ongoing work of maintaining those procedures and updating them as

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necessary. Sustain refers to the process of keeping 5S running smoothly, but
also of keeping everyone in the organization involved. Managers need to
participate, as do employees out on the manufacturing floor, in the warehouse,
or in the office. Sustain is about making 5S a long-term program, not just an
event or short-term project. Ideally, 5S becomes a part of an organization's
culture. And when 5S is sustained over time, that's when businesses will start
to notice continuous positive results.

Tip #1: To help sustain 5S practices, make sure all new

employees (or employees who switch departments)
receive training about their area's 5S procedures.

Tip #2: Keep things interesting. Look at what other

companies are doing with 5S. New ideas for organization
can keep things improving and keep employees engaged.

SAFETY – THE 6S

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.

This might involve setting up workstations so

they're more ergonomic, marking intersections—such as
the places where forklifts and pedestrians cross paths—
with signs, and labeling the storage cabinet for cleaning chemicals so people
are aware of potential hazards. If the layout of the workplace or the tasks
people perform are dangerous, those dangers should be reduced as much as
possible. That's what the sixth S focuses on.

Some people consider safety an outcome of performing the other five S's
appropriately, and as a result say a sixth S isn't necessary. They think if the
workspace is properly organized and cleaned and uses helpful visual safety
cues, a separate safety step is unnecessary.

Neither approach to safety is right or wrong. But however a business wants to

approach safety, it should be aware that paying attention to safety is
important.

Tip: If mishaps and accidents do happen, stop to consider whether a 5S

improvement could have prevented it. Could less clutter, cleaner walking
surfaces, or better signs and labels have made a difference?
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GETTING STARTED WITH 5S

Even though 5S is a fairly simple concept, beginning a new 5S program

can feel daunting. It's like undertaking a big cleaning project in the garage or
the basement at home; there's a lot of stuff to deal with, and getting started
probably doesn't sound fun.

Start with practical steps such as deciding which departments and

individuals will be involved, what training is needed, and what tools to use to
facilitate the process. Determining these concrete things will help begin the
process of 5S implementation.

Who Should Participate in 5S?

Here's the short answer to this question: everyone. If a department is

starting 5S, managers and all other employees should be included. If anyone is
left out, this could lead to confusion or to messes that people don't want to
take ownership of.

It is possible that some people will play a bigger role in 5S than others,
which is fine. 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, especially if 5S is a company-wide effort. When people see their
superiors taking 5S seriously by participating in it, they'll be more likely to take
it seriously, too.

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5S TRAINING

Anyone who will participate in 5S activities needs to receive training.

This could be done in a classroom setting, with a training DVD, and/or
through hands-on activities. A demonstration of how 5S could occur at a
workstation might also be useful.

For employees to understand why the company is going to start using 5S

and why it's important, they should be given a brief history of 5S, its parts, and
its benefits.

It's quite possible that the way 5S is carried out at one organization or
even one department will be different from others, so groups performing 5S for
the first time may need to work out the best way to perform the steps of 5S in
their spaces.

In any case, everyone should receive training when 5S is new, and then
any new employees who come onboard later should receive training about 5S
as well.

5S AND VISUAL COMMUNICATION

A key part of 5S is that it makes spaces cleaner and therefore easier to

navigate. That means people can more easily get their work done. Visual
communication tools such as labels, floor markings, cabinet and shelf
markings, and shadow boards can make navigating spaces even simpler. Plus,
these tools can help keep the workspace organized. A workplace that uses
visual management in this way is often referred to as a visual workplace.

Some common visual tools used in 5S are:

Floor Marking Tape

These tapes can be used to outline work cells,
mark the locations where equipment or materials
are placed, or highlight hazards. They come in a
variety of colors and patterns, and can also be
used on shelves, workbenches, cabinets, and other
surfaces.

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Labels and Signs
These visuals use text, colors, and symbols to convey information. They
can indicate the contents of drawers, call out hazards, or tell people
where to store parts. Many styles and sizes exist, and some businesses
even choose to make these in-house with a label and sign printer.

Shadow boards & Toolbox Foam

These visuals are helpful in workspaces with a lot of tools. Shadow
boards use cutouts of tools that are placed behind the spot where a tool
hangs on a pegboard. Toolbox foam works similarly, except it fits into a
toolbox drawer. The tool's shape is cut out of a top layer of foam, so a
bright bottom layer of foam shows through. Both of these methods
highlight missing tools and tell people exactly where tools should be
placed when they're finished using them.

Businesses may choose to use some or all of these visual tools. All of
them help achieve the often-cited saying of 5S: “A place for everything, and
everything in its place.” These tools make it clear where things belong, so
clutter doesn't become a problem so easily.

Tip: If you use color-coded floor markings, tapes, or other visual cues, make
sure everyone understands them. Post a color chart if necessary.

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SELF-CHECK

A. Identification.
_________________ 1. This is the name of a system or method used in a
workplace so that work can be performed efficiently,
effectively and safely.
_________________ 2. The method of determining what tools, equipment, and
materials necessary and unnecessary in the workplace.
_________________ 3. The method of cleaning up the work area, which includes
sweeping, mopping, dusting, wiping down surfaces,
putting tools and materials in the right place.
_________________ 4. This method assigns regular tasks, creates schedules, and
posts instructions so that all activities become routines.
_________________ 5. This method determine what arrangements are the most
logical that least require waste of time, cost and effort.
_________________ 6. The process of keeping and maintaining 5S running
smoothly, but also of keeping everyone in the organization
involved.
_________________ 7. The system of eliminating risk in work processes by
arranging thing in certain ways.
_________________ 8. These are visuals use text, colors and symbols to convey
information.
_________________ 9. Are use cutouts of tools that are placed behind the spot
where a tool hangs on a pegboard.
_________________ 10. Layer of foam with cut out for tool placement in the
toolbox drawer.
_________________ 11. Cardboard tags or stickers that can be attached to the
items in question.
_________________ 12. Is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by
an organization to help workers carry out complex routine
operations so that orderliness doesn’t fall wayside.

B. Enumeration

Give 6S

1. ____________________________ 4. ____________________________
2. ____________________________ 5. ____________________________
3. ____________________________ 6. ____________________________

C. Why 5S is important. Explain.

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