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5S is a process and method for creating and maintaining an organized, clean, and high performance workplace.  It enables anyone to distinguish between normal and abnormal conditions at a glance.  5S can be the foundation for continuous improvement, zero defects, cost reductions and a more productive work space.  The 5S methodology is a systematic way to improve the workplace, processes and products through employee involvement.

Confusion about how to apply 5S in a knowledge environment is rampant, as these stories of "lean as misguidedly executed" (LAME) attest. I believe that's because people focus on the easily visible, outward trappings of 5S without understanding the purpose of the tool.

A thought provoking article. This has caused me to re-think how I might more effectively conduct my own 5S audits.

A simple 5S improvement in the Pressroom

Could we use this game in our 5S class?

Great! Yes, that looks good to me.

In my experience there are 5 tools that can help with a Visual Workplace and 5S efforts:

Good article about how to use 5S to solve problems.

Yes - 5S is very relaxing!

If one of them happens to be a tall table for standing meetings, let me know. I'd like to replace the table in the Creative "War Room" with a taller version and eliminate the chairs. However, I need to find one with roughly the same circumference as the current table since we use it for design reviews.

Brian - I'm game. Let's do it.

Our target condition is a stable process with reduced, more consistent cycle times as less time is spent hunting for things. Though we may see a correlation between 5S audit scores and stability, it is all to easy to focus on the score and forget the reason.

There are some great ideas in here. I love labeling the light switches, because we went a couple of days last week where the lights in the front office were off since no one knew where the swtch was. Color coding the printer / printer cartridge is brilliant. Instruction sheets for office equipment...

I'm going to use this in my 5S class on Thrusday.

How could we use this? Too often 5S, kaizen, standardization and checking our own work or the work of others begins with enthusiasm as a new management program but soon becomes a routine and neglected "nice to have". Putting 5S and kaizen together as the "6T practice" positions them as essential daily "must haves" behaviors. Placing the record of completing these duties on the clip board on the food service floor within reach of the customer is an excellent way to link practice with purpose.

I was in a conversation today and we ended up boiling 5S down to three key points:

You have everything you need.
You need everything you have.
You can see everything clearly belongs where it is.

Factory workers manipulate and process titanium alloys or scratch-resistant iPhone glass faces. Knowledge workers manipulate and process information. Regardless of what kind of worker you are, you need 5S to provide you with quick access to what you're working on, and to allow you to spot abnormalities.

So, when the signal-to-noise-ratio approaches zero - when there's just a little bit of information coming through the static, as at the consumer products company described above - you know it's time for information 5S. It's time to identify what information is necessary to serve the customer, make decisions, and manage the business, and eliminate the rest. Anything else may be interesting, but is ultimately irrelevant - and even worse, it sucks valuable resources into the giant maw of waste

It is said that performance is related to housekeeping and workplace organization. It is a first step to improving operating results. The 5S Tool is a common sense approach to improve the visual control in the workplace. The decision-making process usually comes from a dialogue about standardization, which builds understanding among employees of how they should do the work. It can apply to both manufacturing and the service setting.

As you all know, a horizontal surface can become a potential area for items to accumulate. When it comes to workbenches, it seems that they have far too many things on them and are much bigger than the need to be.

Cable organizing ideas for the 5S team

Use this in 5S Class

When using drawers to store equipment, one expression stands out: Out of sight, out of mind. Things in a drawer tend to get piled up, misplaced, and forgotten about. Drawers take time to open and close, and slow down processes. They hide things. Bottom line: Drawers are fine for storage, but they hinder 5S and flow in a production environment.

In this post I am going to show you how you can use these same concepts that you use to manage your workspace to save your inbox.