5S-Manufacturing

An introduction to 5S

5S gets it's name from the list of five Japanese words which start with the letter 'S.' Each of the five 'S's stand for a type of organizational or clean up method that is used by manufacturers and business people alike. Due to the fact that these `S's have to do with eliminating waste, the 5S method is most commonly associated with methods that mention the Lean Manufacturing system of management. The 5S philosophy outlines ways to improve overall company and production line efficiency by eliminating waste and thereby improving the flow of the operation.

The 5S technique is also referred to as a housecleaning methodology as many of the translated `S' words have to do with cleaning up and sorting. But of course cleaning up an operation is not the only thing that must be done in order to improve efficiency. Organization and reasonable placement of tools where they can be most easily acceptable when needed most are also key points in the 5S methodology. The 5S method tends to vary greatly from company to company not only because each company has unique "clean up" needs, but also because the 5S's can easily be re-interpreted from their Japanese origins to mean slightly different things. It is however from this slight ambiguity that business owners have the opportunity to take the 5S suggestions and use their own innovative thinking to make them their own. In this article you will read more about some of the more common interpretations and explanations of each of the 5S's as well as their origins.

What are the 5S's?

The 5S's are abbreviated from the Japanese words Seiri, Seiton, Seison, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. If these Japanese 'S' words were directly translated into English they would mean: housekeeping, workplace organization, cleanup, keep cleanliness, and discipline. For memory's sake, when these originally Japanese `S' words are intended for an English speaking audience, some allowances are made to keep the 5S's as actual 'S' words. So they will most commonly be referred to as: sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain.

1. Sort (Seiri / Tidiness)

Sorting refers to the process of separating the items or processes that are needed in the office or workplace, from those items or processes that are not needed. The things that are kept reflect only those things that are most important and immediately needed on the manufacturing floor. Decisions must also be made regarding whether or not certain materials or tools that are not currently needed should be stored for use later or destroyed. The idea is to eliminate the problem of having clutter interfere with a productive day of work. Those who find it helpful to have a visual method of identifying unneeded items often use a method called "red tagging." This process entails attaching a red tag on all items that are not important for operations or that are not in the proper location or quantity. After the red tagged items are gathered, the decision of where they will need to be moved to should be made based on frequency and importance of use of that material or tool. Sorting also allows for the discovery of items that had been inefficiently stored. Sorting is not only helpful in regaining lost floor space, but also in identifying and excess raw materials.

2. Set in order (Seiton / Orderliness)

Workplace Organization is the process of organizing the workplace so that all the needed items for a particular job or function are readily available and can be found and employed quickly and easily. This method is obviously intended to make the manufacturing process more complete and more time effective. Less time will be spent chasing down materials that are needed for a job because they are available and ready at all times. In this section of the 5S process, it is also essential that everything has a place and can always be found there and in no other unnecessary places that will interfere with the manufacturing process. The organization of the supplies should be logical and based on the needs of workers and machines as they carry out the manufacturing of products. Another focus of this section is the maintenance of an orderly workplace. All tools and equipment used in the process should all promote good workflow and keep any interruptions from creeping into the process wasting precious time and resources. They should also be organized to minimize unnecessary motion to get from one station of the process to another. There should not be more space between different stations than is absolutely necessary to accomplish the task and to allow for all tools needed to have their own place.

3. Shine (Seiso / Cleanliness)

This S refers to cleanup in general as is necessary throughout the manufacturing process. There should never be an area that can be clean that isn't. As soon as a task is finished, all of the mess associated with completing that task should be immediately cleaned up. It is even more effective and efficient if the cleaning is done throughout the process to avoid extra time spend afterward to clean up. At the end of each shift, everything is put back in its proper place and restored as it was when found. There is nothing out of place at the end of the day. Keeping machinery and workspaces clean also allows for workers to notice problems with equipment long before they might if cleaning were neglected, thereby prolonging the life and value of equipment.

4. Standardize (Seiketsu / Standardization)

Standardize refers to having a system that everyone follows and makes sure is maintained by others. It also assumes consistency and cleanliness are part of the process. Each individual know exactly what his or her individual responsibilities are and how they fit into the whole process. Tools used in this step may include job charts, graphs and other tables, and checklists. This also helps to avoid unnecessary accumulation of nonessential parts, keeping procedures intact and positive.

5. Sustain (Shitsuke / Discipline)

Maintenance is perhaps the most important of the 5S steps. It assures that all progress made can be maintained and that the processes can also be improved upon when such an opportunity arises. It is essential that all parties involved acquire the discipline to keep the process steps going so that there can be continual improvement and refinement. Once the other 4S's have been established, it is important to make sure that the focus of the operation stays fixed on the new way of running things. This step also allows for proper tracking and follow-up to be carried out to ensure that the efficiency and effectiveness improvements that have been made are actually contributing to the benefit of the company and the process. Keeping the channels open for constant improvement throughout the process is always appropriate even in this final stage. This idea of sustaining the process is also a way to ensure that the new way of thinking and doing things becomes habit and is just the new way of life from that point forward. Without this step, all of the progress made on the other pillars will dissolve and devolve into the way things were before implementing any of the ideas. This step is absolutely essential and the process wouldn't be considered a success until this step has happened.

Who was Dr. Shigeo Shingo?

Dr. Shigeo Shingo was a Japanese industrial engineer who is remembered as being one of the world's leading experts on Lean Manufacturing principles and, more specifically, the Toyota Production System. Shingo was actually an external correspondent for Toyota and is becoming more and more popular in the west for his contributions in creating that method of manufacturing. Shingo is the author of many books that have been translated into English and are being used by manufacturers all over the world, but probably most popularly in the United States. There is even a prize that has been set up in Dr, Shingo's honor that is called the Shingo Prize. The Shingo Prize is awarded to world-class lean organizations. Shingo was a key player in the creation of the 5S methodology and certainly incorporated its principles in his lean manufacturing techniques.

Conclusion

The benefits of successfully implementing a 5S management program are many. When your workplace is more organized and orderly, there is less room for error both in terms of physical and clerical accidents. Hazardous situations are eliminated all together with the removal of clutter and the clear delineation of situation that are either safe or unsafe. Production efficiency is improved when less time is spent looking for tools or asking questions, because instructions for how to find those tools or answers to common questions are displayed in a visually appealing and organized manner. Streamlined and frequent quality improvement activities are improved and therefore the entire production process sees greater efficiency and yields a better product. Deviations in the production process can be seen immediately and corrected before the process yields a defective product. In summary, the 5S methods improve any workplace, manufacturing or otherwise, by determining what and where something is needed, making sure that every tool has its proper place, and maintaining constancy is ensuring that the 5S and other company specific standards are being upheld.