5s - Housekeeping

What Is 5S?

5S is a system which was developed in Japan to establish basic discipline and order in the workplace. It creates an effective work environment that is an essential foundation for other Best Practices to prosper.

5S involves creating an organised workplace using the following 5 steps:

Sort

-

Sorting & removing unnecessary items

Set in Order

-

A place for everything and everything in its place

Shine

-

Cleaning the work area

Standards

-

Establishing the rules & standards

Sustain

-

Maintaining the standards in a disciplined way

Sort

“Only what is needed, in the amounts it is needed, when it is needed!”

There are three important points in this definition:

  • What is needed – usefulness
  • How much is needed – quantity
  • When it is needed – frequency
  • Areas of Focus

    Sort focuses on all types of material and equipment in the work area. These fall in the following categories:

  • Inventory – Raw materials, WIP, finished goods, etc
  • Production tools & Equipment – Jigs, dies, consumables, etc
  • Maintenance Tools & Equipment – Spare parts, maintenance tools, etc
  • Information – Work Instructions, manuals, notice boards, etc
  • General Equipment – Furniture, cleaning equipment, etc
  • The Sort Exercise (Tag)

    Sort involves carrying out a cleaning up exercise, often called a red tag exercise. The cleaning up exercise involves the following steps:

  • Organise a team / or teams
  • Identify the target area / or area
  • Assign a holding area for tagged items
  • Set tag criteria based on:

  • Usefulness
  • Frequency of use
  • Quantity required
  • Attach tags as appropriate
  • Evaluate tagged items
  • Document results

    Example of Tag Criteria

    Usefulness

    Frequency of Use

    Action

    Not Useful

    Discard

    Doubtful

     

    Tag then discard or store elsewhere

    Useful

    Used Rarely

    Annually or Monthly

    Tag, then store elsewhere

    Used Occasionally

    Weekly

    Store near area

    Used Frequently

    Daily or Hourly

    Store near place of use

    Benefits of Sort

  • Allows focus on necessary items
  • Eliminates clutter – ‘see the wood for the trees’
  • Allows focus on necessary items
  • Improves material movement.
  • Improves safety
  • Creates more space
  • Can help ensure that obsolete items are not used
  • Disposal can raise revenue
  • Generates enthusiasm for change as you have a visible outcome
  • Set In Order

    This means having a dedicated place for everything and having everything arranged so that it is easy to find, easy to remove and return.

    Benefits of Set in Order

  • Saves time finding items
  • Improved space utilisation
  • Reduces safety hazards
  • Reduces loss and damage of tools and materials
  • Improve inventory management
  • Improves productivity
  • Shine

    Shine Implies The Following:

  • Equipment free of product spillage, lubricants or dirt and reduce contamination
  • Areas outside the workplace clean & tidy e.g. office areas, amenities
  • Operators become more involved in the maintenance and care of equipment
  • Cleaning Approach

    Shine involves the following approach to cleaning:

  • Perform initial clean of area
  • Introduce cleaning schedules and audits
  • Eliminate sources of contamination
  • Make cleaning easier:
  • Benefits of Clean Workplace

  • Improved Staff morale
  • Pride in the workplace
  • Spot problems earlier:
  • Standards

    Standards help everyone to clearly understand what the acceptable standard is and points out abnormalities.

    To be effective, standards should be:

  • Visual
  • Clearly understandable
  • Pointing out abnormalities
  • Continuously improved
  • Sustain

    It is important to maintain standards over a long period of time and to ensure that the new behaviour we have learnt and practised in the first three S’s will not be forgotten and allowed to disappear.

    How to Sustain 5S

  • Create & display standards
  • Monitor compliance using audits
  • Monitor audit results
  • Monitor follow up using action plans
  • Review progress at meetings
  • Show management commitment, e.g. Manage By Walkabouts, acknowledge improvements
  • 5S Audits

    5S Audits should be conducted regularly by the process team with results published. These audits should not be seen as punitive measures but rather be seen as part of the continuous improvement process. The audit should identify areas for improvements and suggestions as to how to improve.

    Implementation - Tips for Success

  • Everyone must contribute
  • Keep an open mind
  • Focus on Improvement don't blame
  • Start with a pilot area, then roll out to other areas
  • Make 5S  ‘the way we do things’
  • How to Make 5S Work

  • Make 5S a regular agenda item at meetings
  • Install Problem/Action boards in the workplace
  • Set deadlines and responsibilities
  • Follow up actions
  • Take before and after photos
  • Communicate and celebrate successes
  • Manage the holding area
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