5S is a list of five steps for maintaining order and cleanliness (sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain) performed to achieve better organization, efficiency, and discipline in the workplace. The name comes from the Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke, and refers to their English equivalents: sort, straighten, scrub, systematize, and standardize.
In some companies, this has been translated into English as 5C: clean out, configure, clean & check, conform, and custom & practice. In Japan, “five S programs” are implemented, which include a series of actions aimed at eliminating waste that contributes to errors, defects, and workplace accidents. These actions are:
1. Sort – review everything and keep only what is needed, getting rid of unnecessary items;
2. Set in order – everything has its place and everything is in its place;
3. Shine – cleaning is often a practical form of inspection; it reveals irregularities and situations that could harm quality or lead to machine failure;
4. Standardize (formulating rules) – developing systems and procedures for maintaining and monitoring the results of the first three activities;
5. Sustain – maintaining order at the workstation is an ongoing process of continuous improvement.
5S – the five steps of proper workstation maintenance, was developed through intensive activities in a production environment, but it can be applied just as well in other environments. For example, service companies can apply them to their “production lines” as processes related to quote requests, insurance applications, financial report closing, etc.
Standardization, 5S (proper workstation maintenance), and the elimination of muda (muda – waste) are the three pillars of gemba kaizen, which is an approach to change based on common sense and low costs. Kaizen in any company – whether manufacturing or service – should begin with three actions: standardization, 5S, and the elimination of muda. The above actions do not require complex management strategies or new technologies. They do not appear in management publications, which is why they do not stimulate the imagination of managers and are often simply overlooked when making decisions.
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 2/2009.