The 5-S System is one of the most powerful activities of Lean Manufacturing. The 5-S philosophy focuses on simplifying the work environment, reducing waste, and improving quality and safety. It is the natural place to start your Lean effort -- because Lean is all about eliminating non-value added activities.
5-S consists of these five steps:
- Sort Through and Sort Out
- Set in Order
- Shine and Inspect Through Cleaning
- Standardize and Share Information
- Sustain the Improvements Made.
Objectives
To establish basic workplace conditions and lay the groundwork for the successful implementation of Lean Manufacturing.
Training Approach
- Classroom training
- Small groups
- Floor work
- Before and after comparisons.
Benefits
- Eliminate clutter, disorganization, and dirt that make successful Lean Manufacturing difficult, if not impossible
- Establish basic workplace conditions -- the essential first step in creating a manufacturing cell
- Improve and standardize work conditions for safe and effective operation
- Avoid poor work conditions that lead to wastes such as:
-- extra motion to avoid obstacles
-- time spent searching for things
-- delays due to defects, machine failures, and accidents
- Decrease changeover time and downtime
- Boost employee morale.
5-S Tools
- Sorting, red tagging, creating logs
- Shining movable and unmovable (machines, floors, walls, shelves, etc.) items
- Creating shadow boards
- Sustainability -- setting schedules for cleaning, auditing, and educating others.
Examples
A truck cover manufacturer standardized its housekeeping efforts, inventory control methods, and business practices, resulting in a 50% reduction of inventory costs and a 67% increase in sales.
After the implementation of the 5S System by a window manufacturing company, productivity was increased by 35% and overtime was reduced by 45%.
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