5S Techniques - Shine (Seiso (清掃)) - Keeping It Clean

The first step of 5S involved cleaning up the clutter and sorting out what was needed from those tools, materials, and supplies that were not frequently used. In the second step, everything was put away in its proper storage location. Now it's time to do a more thorough cleaning.

5S Shine (Seiso (清掃) - Keeping It Clean

Once you have all of the clutter and debris cleaned up, and the remaining items have been organized and put in their proper storage either at the work place or in a remote location, you need to keep it that way. The shine step is essential to the success of a 5S program.  For 5S to work, it has to be easy to find what you need when you need it.  The dirtier a facility is the less effective your operation will be.

To start the shine step, clean everything.  Scrub the entire facility, including the floors, work surfaces, machines, storage containers, shelves, racks, and tools.  The cleaner the facility, the easier it will be to identify problems or things out of the norm.

Cleaning can improve the safety in a facility.  Dust and dirt can create health hazards and also makes it harder to identify safety hazards.  One of the main goals of 5S is make problems jump out to anyone walking by. Cleaning is performed so that the facility will be clean one day, and dirty again the next.  The more you can create an environment that is easy to inspect and easy to maintain, the more effective the 5S program will be.

An effective 5S program will create a permanent change in a facility. Part of this process involves painting.  Some companies paint their facility floor a light color so that dirt is easy to spot.  Others paint utility services, such as pipes and conduits, to make it easy for maintenance to identify the right lines to work on.  

The shine process can also involve installing new equipment such as better lighting.  Good lighting makes it easier to spot items out of place and highlights direct and trash.

5S Shine - Who Is Responsible For Cleaning?

5S shine is not just the job of a janitor or a cleaning crew, it is everyone's responsibility.

Every work area should have a person, or group, assigned to clean that area. The best approach is to have those who do the work in an area, also be responsible for cleaning that area at the end of each day. This results in:

• Work practices that help to keep the work area clean throughout the work day.
• Those who are doing the cleaning also inspect their equipment and spot and fix or report any problems.
• Each employee recognizing any safety hazards that exists in their work area and having those corrected immediately.
• Everyone properly identifying and properly storing all tools, dies, bits, jigs, etc.

No area should be left unclean. Look at the workplace through the eyes of a visitor and take the responsibility for keeping your entire workplace clean and safe. When done on a regular, frequent basis, cleaning and inspecting should not take a lot of time, and in the long run will save time and possible injury.

Join us next week for 5S Techniques - Standardize (Seiketsu)

Systematize (seiton) - This is the second step in a 5S program: Organize, arrange, and identify everything in a work area, as well as throughout the facility, so that items are efficiently and effectively retrieved and returned daily to their proper storage location(s).

A variety descriptives have been used for the second step of 5S. These include:

·         Straightening

·         Setting In Order

·         Systematically  organizing

·         Straightening out

·         Simplifying

This step could also simply be called "put away." Put things away in logical storage locations allowing commonly used tools and materials convenient and easy to access by yourself and any coworkers.

The Basics of 5S Systematize (seiton)

The focus of this part of 5S is to create efficient and effective storage so anyone can easily and quickly find the tools, materials, and supplies they need, then promptly return those tools, materials, and supplies to their proper storage locations, when you are done with them.

A second key aspect of Systematize is that the most commonly used tools should be readily available. Those items that are not frequently used should be kept out of the way by storing them in a different and somewhat remote location.

Labeling 5S Systematize

To properly systematize work spaces, storage areas, cabinets, and shelves should be clearly marked with signs and labels. Place labels on the outside of doors to identify what is in the storage space. Interior shelves are labeled so that individual items can be consistently and easily returned to their proper storage locations.

Frequently used tools are often stored on shadow boards (Peg boards that have the outline or a colored shadow of each tool marked on them).  The "shadows" match the shape and size of the tool, making it easy to see which tool goes where.

For larger items that are stored on the floor, first clean and paint the floors to make it easier to spot dirt, waste materials and dropped parts and tools. Use floor marking tape or paint lines to outline areas where items are to be stored and so that it is easy to see work areas, movement lanes, etc.

Apply These 5S Systematize Principles to Any Workplace

The key to "5S Systematize” is: a place for everything and everything in its place properly identified and labeled.

·         Items that are used frequently should be stored close to where they are used.

·         Items that are used infrequently should be stored in a common area further from the location where they are used.

·         If several items are used together, then store them together.  For example, drill bits should be stored in the same location as drills.

·         Store things in a place where people would logically look to find them and then maintain this.

·         Identify all items (including tools, jigs, molds, bits, etc.) and label them so that anyone can identify and return them to their proper storage location.

The 5S Map

A 5S map is tool that can help in developing the 5S Systematize step. A 5S map is a diagram, or floor plan, that provides an overview of a work area, a department, office, or work station. It provides a picture that shows where machines, storage areas, work in progress, supplies and workers are located. It also includes a short description of the tasks that are done in the area.

Use a 5S map to identify:

·         Where equipment and machines are located (Where the work is done).

·         Where storage areas are needed.

·         How those storage areas should be arranged.

·         How people move around in, or move through a work area.

The 5S map serves as a visual aid to help identify logical storage areas, and ways to position work areas that will make access to needed tools and materials efficient and easy.

The Office and 5S Systematize

5S Systematize also applies to offices. Work areas in offices should be identified by signs or placards. Papers, blueprints, catalogs, invoices and other paper materials should be appropriately filed. Store frequently used manuals, books and catalogs on bookshelves and properly arrange them. Label filing cabinets, drawers, bookshelves, and other storage locations, as well as the materials being stored, so they are easy to identify and materials can easily be retrieved and returned to their proper place.

In summary, there are two important parts to 5S Systematize; 1. Putting everything in its proper place and setting up a system so that everything is returned to that place. 2. Labeling and identifying all equipment, tools, and materials you use, as well as their proper storage locations. 5S Systematize not only applies to individual work areas. The overall facility should also be systematically organized, including the proper placement of easy-to-understand labels and signs throughout the facility. In this way much time is saved in securing the needed items and all unsafe clutter is removed.

Join us next week for 5S Techniques - Seiso (Shine)

Sort – (Seiri) - "Sorting" means to sort through everything in each work area keeping only what is necessary at the work space. Materials, tools, equipment and supplies that are not frequently used should be moved to a separate, common storage area. Items that are not used should be discarded or recycled.  Don't keep things around just because they might be used, someday. With 5S sorting you are taking the first step toward making a work area tidy, organized, and arranged so that it is easier to find the things you need. The result will be that waste is eliminated and additional space will become available. Obsolete fixtures, molds, jigs, scrap material, waste, and other unused items and materials are disposed of or recycled. Broken equipment and tools are either repaired or thrown out.

An additional benefit is that, it makes it easier to spot maintenance needs such as an oil leak. It also improves safety and eliminates clutter and confusion.  5S sorting... it's simple, common-sense, and it begins a journey that results in eliminating waste, and improving safety, quality, and productivity though the implementation of the five basic principles of 5S.

5S Sorting itself involves five steps: 

5S Sorting – Cleaning
The purpose of "sorting" is to identify unnecessary items and eliminate them from the workplace. The team should go through every area of the workplace; inside cupboards, under benches, behind machines (even inside the machines) to remove all items that are considered clutter. By nature we tend to collect and hoard things just in case we need them later and start to accumulate items until those items begin to get in the way of our production. During this activity it can be surprising how much has accumulated in the area. You will also find many items that people have just forgotten, and no longer know what they are.  *Basic 5S Principle: Don't keep things around just because they might be used, someday.

5S Sorting - Classifying

As you are cleaning up you'll uncover all of the tools, equipment, materials and supplies presently accumulated at your workplace. As each item is uncovered, classify it. If the item is clearly scrap then throw it away! If it has value, but does not belong in the area then move it to a quarantine area often called a red-tag area. If the item is too large to move or is attached to services and would require the attention of maintenance to remove it, identify with a red-tag (more on red tags below.)

5S Sorting - Ownership

In some cases, as items are found or classified their ownership may be obvious. For example, pallets might be collected in one area so they can be returned to the shipping department. It may be immediately obvious where a tool belongs and that tool can be directly returned to its correct storage location. In other cases determining ownership may require asking some questions or doing a little research. Once ownership is determined the owner can decide what to do with the item - store it, pass it on to another work area or department, or dispose of the item. However, in some cases the ownership of an item may not be readily apparent. This brings us to the fourth step - red tagging.

5S Sorting - Red Tagging (Example above)

The Red Tag process in 5S can be can be conducted in a number of different ways. The red tag is a simple but highly obvious label that is used to identify items that people believe should be removed from the work cell. Red Tags can be used within a “blitz” approach to 5S to identify items that operators cannot physically remove from the working area themselves; other items being removed to a “red tag” area rather than being left within the cell. If 5S is conducted over a longer period or for ongoing applications of Sorting the Red Tag is used to identify items that people do not believe are required, if no one has a need to use the item within a specified period (usually 30 days) then the item is then removed from the cell.

5S Sorting - Recycling / Reassignment

Red tagged items that are not claimed after a reasonable amount of time, such as 30 days, may be recycled, disposed of, or if they are still useful they can be reassigned. A simple approach for reassigning items is at the end of the 30 day red tag period, to provide a seven day period in which any supervisor may take any red tagged item with an expired red tag. These items are then reassigned to that supervisor's work area.

In some cases the five steps of 5S sorting may happen simultaneously. We can clean, classify, determine ownership, and red tag in just a few seconds. In other circumstances the process may be more involved and the steps more distinct. But the objective is the same, clean up and get rid of unused items.

Join us next week for 5S Techniques - Seiton (Systematize)

The Lean / 6-Sigma process is proven to be an effective method that can make your operations more productive and profitable. As a result of utilizing this, your company can become more competitive. We believe that implementation of these philosophies is timely and a very good opportunity to improve everybody's quality of work and life. The application of Lean techniques is so versatile that they can be used whether you have a large manufacturing plant, small shop, fast food business, service or social service operation, or any other imaginable business. Anything you do can be improved.  A good starting point is through a commonly used Lean tool, 5S. Over the next 5 weeks we will focus on the 5 main principles of the 5S process.

5S Principles - Workplace Organization

5S is the name of a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. Translated into English, they all start with the letter "S" and are respectively Sort, Systematize, Shine, Standardize, and Self Discipline. The list describes how to organize a work space for efficiency and effectiveness by identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items, and sustaining the new order. The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue about standardization, which builds understanding among employees of how they should do the work.

A sixth principle, "Safety", is sometimes added. There is debate over whether including this sixth "S" promotes safety by stating this value explicitly, or if a comprehensive safety program is undermined when it is relegated to a single item in an efficiency-focused business methodology.

A seventh principle, "Security", is also now added by some. To leverage security as an investment rather than an expense, the seventh "S" identifies and addresses risks to key business categories including fixed assets (PP&E), material, human capital, brand equity, intellectual property, information technology, assets-in-transit and the extended supply chain.

Join us next week for 5S Techniques - Seiri (Sort)

For the past several weeks we have discussed 9 of the 10 Key Success Factors needed for successful implementation and they are:

1. Management Commitment
2. Benefit Realization
3. Implementation Team
4. Project Management
5. Blueprinting
6. Holistic, Enterprise-Wide Impact
7. Testing
8. Data Accuracy
9. Change Management

Which brings us to our final key success factor – Sustaining Change.  Once your strategy is in place, the work has just begun. To ensure a lasting internal change and prove to everyone that your new initiative, program or strategy is not just another management fad, you must sustain it.

10. Sustaining Change

If it stops:  Without a strong commitment to continuously improve and harness the power of the business system, the organization cannot realize the required business benefits. 

When it is sustained: In many ways, the implementation of an ERP system is a new beginning, providing the tools and a platform to continuously improve business practices. The best way to sustain this momentum is to instill the importance of Continuous Improvement. Small to large companies need to think of a Center of Excellence that continues to refine the processes, enhances the tool sets and maintains the governance to deliver the required benefits.  Research shows that organizations that pursue the philosophy of Continuous Improvement do a better job of realizing desired benefits from their ERP system, achieve a higher ROI, and succeed at keeping total cost of ownership on budget.

If you are interested in getting 10 Key Success Factors in a FREE eBook please contact Scott Palochik, espi business development, at 610-867-4340  x112 or by email: SPalochik@ent-sys.com

Join us next week as we start a new series – 5S Principles and Techniques