Operational Excellence
  General Management    System Standards
  Industry Specific Standards
  Improvement Tools &    Techniques
  Business Process
  Management Development

 

CONSULTANCY SERVICES

Operational Excellence

5S Workplace Management

Introduction

What is 5S Workplace Management?

5S is both a philosophy and a methodology for organizing and managing the workspace and work flow with the intent to improve efficiency by eliminating waste, improving flow and reducing process unreasonableness.

The five Japanese words in this 5S mnemonic are: Seiri which is to sort, Seiton which is to straighten, Seiso which is to sweep, Seiketsu which is to standardize and Shitsuke which is to sustain for greater efficiency.

'5S is the starting point
for all manner of
improvement activities'

'5S, MORE than
meets the eye!'

Many misconceptions exist about this discipline and many have incorrectly characterized 5S as standardized cleanup. Those who proclaim this have not gone deeper into the spirit and intent of 5S. It is definitely much more than housekeeping!

This set of principles is the starting point for all manner of improvement activities. It is the first pillar for Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and is the first step for problem solving or waste elimination in lean manufacturing or service. After all, making the problems visible is the logical first step before one is able to see the problem and embark on the solutions.

5S is a great pilot project for novice improvement teams as one is able to see the results quite immediately. For instance, from mere sorting and straightening, one is able to have greater order at the workplace and this can help improve quality and productivity. Moreover, with re-layout, one is able to create more space and consolidate the space savings into larger blocks of valuable space for expansion.

Take it beyond isolated projects, implement 5S as an organisation-wide culture and you will discover that there is more to 5S than meets the eye!