5S Methodology
What is 5S?
5S Methodology is a Lean manufacturing technique that is used to create an organized, safe and productive work environment. It is a system that encourages proper organization and cleanliness in the workplace, which can lead to increased efficiency and productivity.
The 5S methodology is based on five simple steps:
- 1. Sort
- 2. Set in Order
- 3. Shine
- 4. Standardize
- 5. Sustain.
Origin of 5S: –
5S was developed in Japan and was identified as one of the techniques that enabled Just in Time manufacturing. Two major frameworks for understanding and applying 5S to business environments have arisen, one proposed by Takashi Osada, the other by Hiroyuki Hirano.
Hirano provided a structure to improve programs with a series of identifiable steps, each building on its predecessor. Before this Japanese management framework, a similar “scientific management” was proposed by Alexey Gastev and the USSR Central Institute of Labor (CIT) in Moscow.
The Steps of 5S: –
5S was created in Japan, and the original “S” terms were in Japanese, so English translations for each of the five steps may vary. The basic ideas and the connections between them are easy to understand, though.
Sort: –
The first step of the 5S methodology is sorting through the workplace and getting rid of any unnecessary items. This can include anything from physical clutter to inefficient processes.
Clear the Work Area, examine the equipment, supplies, and things in a work space closely for this stage. Items that are required or helpful for the task being done in that area should be kept there. Remove everything else.
Some of those eliminated objects will need to be recycled or thrown away. Other items should be returned to their “homes,” which could be another work procedure or location. You may discover certain things, nevertheless, about which you are unsure.
Use a red tag if you come across something that you are unsure of the ownership of or that you are unable to identify. The process of “Red-Tagging” briefly affixes a tag with location and time information on the item. Then, all red-tagged tools, supplies, and equipment from all work areas are gathered in one spot to serve as a “lost and found” for those items.
Check the red tag collection area to see whether an important tool that is missing from a work area has been located elsewhere. Every so often, the supervisors of each work area should check the red tag collection area to see whether anything was forgotten. Take everything that belongs in a workspace back there.
Reassigning Tagged Items
The red tag collection area may have items waiting for a very long period. In that instance, it appears that the original work area (where that item originated) no longer need it. However, it might be valuable somewhere else. Items may be kept in the red tag collection area for thirty days in one usual method. Any supervisor may then claim the item for their own work area following that. After another week, if no one has expressed interest, the item may be completely removed from the facility. You can either sell, recycle, or discard it.
It could be wiser to put something away for later use if the organization will absolutely need it but not now. Make sure you will genuinely need something in the future before storing it. Make a concrete strategy for removing that item from storage at a certain period in the future. Without a valid reason, avoid keeping anything “just in case,” and keep a record of what has been kept.
Set in Order: –
The second step is to organize the workplace. This means creating an organized layout of the workplace and tools, as well as developing systems and processes that can be easily understood and followed.
Building a 5S Map
Tools that are regularly used should be kept close to where they are utilized. Spare supplies, tools, and other resources that aren’t frequently used can be maintained in one place and shared by several teams. Items that are frequently used together, such drills and drill bits, should be kept next to one another in storage. Even though each of these choices will be reasonable on its own, it could be challenging to keep track of everything. Making a 5S map as part of this procedure can be useful.
A diagram or floor plan known as a 5S map gives a general picture of a work area, procedure, or station. It gives a graphic representation of the locations and connections between the workers, suppliers, tools, and travel routes. A good map may also provide a description of the activities taking on in the area highlighted.
Depending on your facility’s needs, you may find one approach easier than another:
- 1. Draw up a map, and then implement it
- 2. Physically arrange the workplace first, and then map it out
- 3. Map as you go, testing ideas and writing down what works well
No matter which approach is used to create it, the resulting 5S map should be kept as a training tool, used for reference in later steps of 5S, and updated over time as the work area changes.
Communicating the Plan
Each storage facility has to be labelled after storage sites are assigned. To make it easier for employees to instantly recognize what is within each cabinet, label the outside of the doors. Then, identify any inside shelves to indicate the proper placement of various goods. Bins, rack labels, and other storage systems can all use the same concepts.
To make sure that each instrument is simple to return to its proper storage location, several facilities employ a “shadow board” for tool storage. With this method, a label that matches the tool’s size and form is placed where it belongs. Workers can quickly identify where each item belongs and determine if it is present or not by scanning the area. No more wasting time digging through cabinets and containers.
Organization can extend to the floor, too. Work areas, movement lanes, and storage for supplies and finished products can all be marked with floor marking tape.
Shine: –
The third step is to clean the workplace. This means removing dirt, dust and debris, and ensuring that all areas of the workplace are clean and safe.
Shine moves far beyond just pushing a broom around every now and then. It involves regular cleaning of every part of the work area — often a daily wipe-down, and a more thorough cleaning each week.
Importantly, the Shine step is not meant to be a job for the maintenance or janitorial staff. Each worker should clean their own work area, and the equipment they use. This approach has several benefits:
- 1. Workers who are familiar with the area will quickly notice any problems that arise
- 2. Hazards or difficult situations will be understood and accounted for
- 3. Items that are out of place or missing will be recognized
- 4. Workers will tend to keep their own workspaces cleaner during normal operations
Everyone should pay attention to the overall cleanliness of the workplace, being willing to pick up trash and so on. But for 5S to give the best results, each worker should take personal responsibility for their own working space.
Shine as Preventative Maintenance
It will be beneficial in many ways to keep work areas tidy. One significant benefit is that leaks, cracks, or misalignments are simple to detect. If the individuals responsible for maintaining the area’s cleanliness are also those who often work there, they will be able to spot any issues right away.
If those issues go undiscovered and unfixed, it could lead to equipment failure, safety risks, and decreased production. The system can contribute to a preventative maintenance program with the ongoing cleaning and inspections employed in the Shine step of 5S. By doing so, 5S can increase the lifespan of machinery and lessen the need for emergency downtime.
Standardize: –
The fourth step is to standardize the workplace. This means creating and enforcing processes and procedures that are consistent throughout the entire workplace.
The Power of Writing Things Down
According to a proverb, “If it’s not in writing, it didn’t happen.” Making ensuring that the decisions you make for your 5S program are documented can help to ensure that your work doesn’t simply vanish. The 5S map you created in the Set in Order stage can be incorporated into your new standard for the region. The method you employ for red-tagging items can be documented and incorporated in the standards in a similar manner.
Even if you put your decisions in writing, you can still change your mind. The goal of 5S is to improve your workplace, not to immobilize it. Standards for your facility are created by you, and you are free to modify them to meet evolving business requirements or new facts.
Tools for Standardizing
Once you’ve made decisions on how to change your work practices, those decisions need to be communicated to workers. This communication is a key part of the Standardize step. Common tools for this process include:
- 5S checklists – Listing the individual steps of a process makes it easy for workers to follow that process completely. It also provides a simple auditing tool to check progress later on.
- Job cycle charts – Identify each task to be performed in a work area, and decide on a schedule or frequency for each of those tasks. Then, assign responsibility to a particular worker (or job duty). The resulting chart can be posted visibly to resolve questions and promote accountability.
- Procedure labels and signs – Provide operating instructions, cleaning steps, and preventative maintenance procedures right where that information will be needed.
Sustain: –
The fifth and final step is to sustain the improvements made by the previous four steps. This means regularly maintaining the workplace and ensuring that any changes made
Never “Once and Done”
The 5S method was designed to be a continuing cycle rather than a one-time event. This is crucial since early 5S triumphs might pave the way for issues. The end outcome could be an even worse mess if open space is created during the Sort step and then allowed to progressively fill it with tools and materials without any structure. The answer is to continuously implement the 5S principles as a routine component of everyday work. Because of this, sustain is crucial.
Sustaining a 5S program can mean different things in different workplaces, but there are some elements that are common in successful programs.
- Management Support – Without visible commitment from managers, the 5S processes won’t stick around. Supervisors and managers should be involved in auditing the 5S work processes, and getting feedback from workers. They also need to provide the tools, training, and time for workers to get their jobs done right.
- Department Tours – Bringing teams from one department to visit other departments will help familiarize the entire workforce with the processes of your facility. This type of “cross pollination” helps to spread good ideas, and inspires people to come up with new ways to improve the 5S implementation.
- Updated Training – As time passes, there may be changes in your workplace, such as new equipment, new products, or new work rules. When this happens, revise your 5S work standards to accommodate those changes, and provide training on the new standards.
- Progress Audits – The standards that are created in the 5S program should provide specific and measurable goals. Checking on those goals with a periodic audit can provide important information and guidance. Where is 5S working well? Where are teams falling behind?
- Performance Evaluations – Once you know your goals are reasonable, make performance part of each employee evaluation. When teams and individuals perform well, celebrate it, and post overall results so each team can see how they compare to the rest of the facility.
Sustain is Not the End of 5S
While it’s the last step in the sequence, sustain is not the end of 5S as a whole. One pass through the steps can expose problems that were hidden beforehand. Following the steps again can resolve those problems, and help discover new ways to improve. Continue through the cycle again and again to keep your facility at the top of its potential.
A Sixth “S” for Safety: –
The 5S method is one of the most well-known and frequently utilized lean tools when it comes to lean manufacturing and workplace improvement. It should come as no surprise that 5S can boost productivity at work, save expenses, and raise standards. But with many lean projects, it’s simple to narrow your attention to only those objectives and ignore the human element. Safety for employees is crucial. Because of this, many facilities extend the 5S cycle by one more step, resulting in “6S” — with Safety.
Safety is not a step that comes after the first five. Each of the subsequent processes must take it into account. For instance, during the Sort phase, you can conclude that a specific tool is no longer useful because a more recent version is safer to use. To improve workplace safety as well as efficiency, work routines must be standardized during the Standardize step.
Benefits of a 5S Program: –
Because 5S focuses on improving a workplace, and different workplaces may have little in common, it can be hard to predict the exact results of using the program. However, some benefits are almost always found:
- Better Time Usage – Getting rid of unwanted materials and organizing the important tools and supplies will eliminate clutter and confusion. Workers spend less time finding and retrieving what they need, and can be more productive instead.
- Less Wasted Space – Eliminating unnecessary material stockpiles and consolidating tool storage will clear up room for more useful applications. Every square foot of floor space has a cost, and getting the most out of that investment will maximize your facility’s profitability.
- Reduced Injury Rates – Organizing work areas for efficiency and ease of use will reduce the movements needed for workers to do their jobs. Removing clutter and routinely cleaning up spills will eliminate trip hazards. As a result, workers will experience less fatigue and fewer injuries.
- Reduced Equipment Downtime – When tools and equipment are kept clean, routinely inspected, and used in a standardized way, preventative maintenance is much easier, and major failures can often be prevented entirely.
- Improved Consistency and Quality – Standardizing work processes will reduce variations and mistakes. By eliminating faults and failures, overall productivity can be dramatically improved.
- Heightened Employee Morale – When 5S principles are used effectively, workers see that their input is valued, and their performance is recognized. This creates an environment where workers can feel pride in their work, and take an interest in improving their company.
Applications: –
The 5S concept has evolved from manufacturing and is currently used in a wide range of sectors, including government, education, and health care. In the healthcare industry, visual management and 5S can be especially helpful because a hasty search for supplies to treat a distressed patient (a persistent issue in the industry) can have disastrous results. Despite having its roots in manufacturing, the 5S technique can also be used in knowledge economy jobs where information, software, or media replace physical products.
References: –
[1] Michalska, J. and Szewieczek, D., 2007. The 5S methodology as a tool for improving the organization. Journal of achievements in materials and manufacturing engineering, 24(2), pp.211-214.
[2] Agrahari, R.S., Dangle, P.A. and Chandratre, K.V., 2015. Implementation of 5S methodology in the small-scale industry: a case study. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 4(4), pp.180-187.
[3] https://www.projectcubicle.com
[4] https://www.graphicproducts.com/articles/what-is-5s/