FIVE JAPANESE WORDS START WITH A LETTER

S.
1. 2.

3.

4.

5.

SEI-RI (Sorting) SEI-TON (Set in order) SEI-SO (Shining) SEI-KE-TSU (Standardizing) SHI-TSU-KE (Self Discipline)
FIVE KEYS FOR WORKPLACE 5S REVOLUTION IMPROVEMENT

The 5S have been around a long time, and there is nothing new about them. We just have not been that aware of them until now. So when we look around, there is a lot of room for improvement.

When you look at why we need the 5S at work, it is immediately clear that there are many things that we do without thinking. The 5S can help in everything we do. The 5S are like a mirror reflecting our attitudes and behavioral patterns. We all too often avert our eyes and prefer not to look at what we see there. Many of the everyday problems that we encounter would be cleared up if only we paid more attention to the 5S. Not observing the 5S is a mark of a lazy mind and a sluggish attitude. Before management and supervisors tell other people they have to implement the 5S, they need to take a good look at things and see if they really understand why themselves.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE THE 5S MAKE

Although the 5S movement obviously results in major improvements in 5S areas, it is even more important in changing the way people approach their work and what they do. It is impossible to mount a 5S campaign with just one or two people. You need to have everyone actively involved. Each of the individual things that needs to be done is simple enough in itself. The difficult thing is to keep doing them. This requires determination, persistence, and cooperation. But that combination in turn creates a new sense of team identity and a better corporate climate. It is important to start by doing. No matter how well you understand the theory, the theory does not produce results. Only doing does. And this doing has the power to change the way people look at things. It has the power to transform them. Every part of the 5S process is important. Every step has the potential for opening our eyes. The 5Ss are the best way to eliminate waste.

PURPOSE OF THE 5S
Safety and the 5S Emphasizing the orderly workplace But what this really means is that you have to pay attention to the little things. Are you wearing your hard hat and safety shoes? Are you being careful when you transport things? Are the paths clear? It is these little things these seemingly insignificant things that make the difference. That is why people have emphasized the importance of an orderly workplace. In addition to these things, the 5Ss are also important to personal safety and health for everyone in preventing fires and slippage accidents due to oil leaks, in preventing pollution from filings and fumes, and in preventing the other things that are so dangerous to human health and safety. Efficiency and the 5S The craftsman takes care of his tools. The famous chef, the skilled carpenter, the greater painter they all take care of their tools. There are no rusted knives, no saws with teeth missing, and no matted brushes. They use good tools, and they take good care of them. They do not waste a lot of time when they are working. They keep everything in order to take and use easily whenever required. Quality and the 5S Today electronics and other machinery demand very high levels of precision and cleanliness. Just a spot of grime can cause a computer to crash. Filings and burrs can mean that things do not fit tightly. Dropping things on an assembly line can mean that the wrong parts

are put together or that the product is shipped to the wrong client. There are all kinds of major problems caused by seemingly minor 5S lapses. It is clear that the 5Ss are prerequisite to quality, and this cannot be overemphasized. Breakdowns and the 5S There is a common Monday Morning Syndrome at some manufacturing plants. This is where sludge-clogged oil drains overflow on Monday morning, where the machinery seems to stick on Monday morning, and where hydraulic and pneumatic equipment pressure levels are low on Monday morning. All of these things happen because the buildup of grime over the course of the work week has had time to harden and to settle into places where it should not be. All of these things happen because the company does not practice the 5S during the week.

5S Overview
Clearing the unwanted things

(Sei-ri)

Meaning Distinguish between the necessary and the unnecessary, and getting rid of what you do not need.

Aims Establish criteria and stick to them in eliminating the unnecessary. Practice stratification management to set priorities. Be able to deal with the causes of dirt.

Activities Eliminating the unnecessary. Dealing with the causes of dirt. Kaizen and standardization based on fundamentals.

Principles Stratification management and dealing with the causes.

Organizing the necessary things

(Sei-ton)

Meaning Establishing a neat layout so you can always get just as much of what you need when you need it. Aims A neat looking workplace.

Efficient (including quality and safety) layout and placement. Raising productivity by eliminating the waste of looking for things.

Activities Functional storage based upon the 5Ws and the 1H. Allocate place for each and every item Arrange visuals to identify items and locations. Establishing easy replacement methods. Principles Functional storage and eliminating the need to look for things.

Cleaning for Inspection

(Sei-so)

Meaning Eliminating trash, dirt, and foreign matter for a cleaner workplace. Cleaning as a form of inspection. Aims

A degree of cleanliness corresponding to your needs. Achieving zero grime and zero dirt. Finding minor problems with cleaning inspections. Understanding that cleaning is inspecting.

Activities Establishing standard cleaning procedures Arranging cleaning tools for each and every place Preventing the dirt at the source itself. Inspecting equipment and remedial action.

Principles Cleaning is for inspection, elimination of breakdown and defects.

Standardization of working methods

(Seiketsu)

Meaning Keeping things organized, neat, and clean, even in personal and pollution related aspects. Aims

Management standards for maintaining the 5Ss. Innovative visible management so that abnormalities show up.

Activities Innovative visual controls. Early detection and early action devices. Manuals for maintaining standardization. Color Coding.

Principles Visual management and 5S standardization.

Self - Discipline and Training the personnel on skill improvement

(Shitsuke)
Meaning Doing the right thing as a matter of course. Aims Full participation in developing good habits and follow the rules.

Communication and feedback as daily routine.

Activities Five-minute 5S. Communication and Feedback. Individual responsibility. Practicing good habits.

Principles Habit formation and creating a disciplined workplace. RECORDING THE PRESENT SITUATION Before launching into 5S activities, the very first thing to do is to take photographs around the workplace. These will be very useful for comparison purposes when 5S is in full swing.

Checkpoints 1. Clearly determine the position each picture was taken from, so that you will be able to have before and after photographs. 2. Date all photos. If possible, use a camera which prints the date on the negative.