Foundations of Lean

The concept of 5S creates the foundation of lean, as it sets the functional balance which is necessary for any improvements to be made and keeps current and continuous improvements ongoing.

The main objective of 5S is to create an uncluttered, clean and organized environment. 5S is often the first step companies take in their lean process, as it builds the foundation for future initiatives and conditions.

Benefits of 5S:

Reduces unnecessary activity
Reduces employee and supplier error
Reduces training time for employees
Reduces handling distance
Reduces floor space required for process
Reduces employee fatigue
Improves communication

Each of these benefits is easy to measure and therefore proves – in a very short time – how efficient the 5S model is.

Visual Factory/Control and Management

Visual Factory/Control and Management is the plain view placement of all tools, parts, production activities, and indicators of production system performance so everyone involved can understand the status of the system at a glance. It is an essential element in lean manufacturing to ensure these initiatives continue.

5S and Visual Factory/Control and Management function together. The goal, as stated earlier, of 5S is to create an uncluttered, clean and organized environment or visually appealing workplace. So 5S is the means to reaching the goal of Visual Factory/Control Management.

Companies who adopt lean manufacturing discover the amount of work that is done in their facility that is not adding value for their customers – which is considered waste. One of the main culprits of waste is lack of information. Many employees are unable to efficiently complete their tasks because they do not have the information necessary to do them. In turn they search out the information needed, wait for answers or stop the task all together which leads to the waste of valuable time. The Visual Factory/Control Management eliminates the issue of lack of information which leads to increased employee productivity and safety, better quality of products produced and overall customer satisfaction.

S1-Sort

S1-Sort has a spring cleaning mentality. With Sort you go through everything in the work area (tools, materials, etc.) and keep only what is absolutely necessary to complete the task. Whatever is deemed unnecessary should be thrown away or stored in an alternate location. This will help your work area be less cluttered and safer.

It is best to have a system for de-cluttering the work area to eliminate wasted efforts and confusion among employees. A “red tag” approach is the most common method of Sort. Items that are not essential or used at least weekly are marked with a red tag and put in a red tag area for a set amount of time. During that time, if no one retrieves them they are up for grabs for all employees to take for their uses. Then whatever is left can be discarded, donated or recycled.

Steps for S1 – Sort Success:

Take pictures of the selected area before starting to sort
Develop and review sorting standards – such as frequency of use, criticality, number needed for given task, etc.
Develop red tag area and properly mark it
Tag, record and move items to designated red tag area
Take pictures of red tag area and selected area after sort
Discard, donate or recycle unclaimed red tag items within a set time frame.

S2-Sweep and Shine

S2-Sweep and shine is focused on cleaning the selected area. It includes three principles: getting it clean, keeping it clean and finding effective ways to prevent it from getting dirty or cluttered.

Sweep and shine the area using cleaning solutions that are safe for the machines and items removing dust, dirt and other debris.

During the sweep and shine step take the opportunity to inspect the equipment to ensure everything is in good working order. Keep the area clean with scheduled housekeeping. It is also beneficial to identify ways to prevent the area from getting dirty to keep everything performing effectively.

Steps for S2-Sort Success

Develop a definition of “clean” that everyone in the work area supports
Obtain proper cleaning supplies such as brooms, dust pans, rags, degreasers, floor cleaner and personal protective equipment
Take pictures prior to cleaning
Clean the work area
Inspect the items within the work area and make any necessary repairs
Identify what is causing the area to be dirty
After cleaning is complete take pictures to show the difference

S3 - Straighten

The goal of the planning phase of S3-Straighten is to make the area convey more information visually as well as to reduce causes of waste and error. Before making changes it is important to get approval from necessary people such as management, maintenance, production, etc.

Key Areas to Improve Performance:

Label and Organize facilities, equipment and tools

Name and label items such as electrical systems, utility pipes, hoses and gas cylinders to clarify and ease line tracing
Keep operator tools near area of use
Mark gauges and indicators to help in the quick detection of abnormalities

Prevent unsafe conditions by properly alerting people

At all necessary areas provide instructions for safe work as well as hazard warnings
Clearly mark locations with things like eye wash stations, first aid stations, lockout/tag out devices and safety showers
Provide easy access to personal protection equipment

Provide employee procedures in each work area

Post updated work instructions and job aids
Create signals, both visual and auditory, to alert employees of issues or abnormal conditions
Prevent human and machine errors with mistake proofing devices

Display quality standards

Ensure quality standards are visually displayed
In a common area, such as break room, provide acceptable and unacceptable outputs of your product
Display in a visual manner trends in quality

Clearly identify materials, organization and movement by marking

Line side inventories such as location, inventory type and maximum and minimum quantity
Storerooms such as labels for bins and racks, barcoding, shelf, restocking indicators
Inventory delivery routes and replenishment procedures

The Implementation Phase of S3-Straighten continues with the desire for visual instructions as well as creating an uncluttered environment. In this phase the focus is on creating an efficient work flow by properly arranging equipment and tools. By implementing this phase workers can quickly see if materials, tools or supplies are running low in stock or if something is not in the correct place.

Standard Activities to Achieve Implementation Success:

For machines and other equipment located on the floor place borders around them. This will alert people passing by not to get too close and establishes a clear location
Create an address system that will label locations such as plant, shelf and storage areas. It is often easiest to first create a work area map to rough out areas to determine what will be most efficient
Mark items such as fixtures and tools to match the storage location labels for easy identification
If possible use visual cues such as graphics and pictures

S3-Straighten Implementation Phase Steps:

Take pictures prior to beginning implementation
Implement your plan
Establish locations and mark items using predetermined standards
Take pictures after S3 is implemented

S4 – Standardize/Schedule

The focus of S4 Standardize/Schedule is to take the new practices of the workplace and determine ways to make them a standard.

The most efficient way to standardize is to assign roles and responsibilities. Visual cues such as flow charts, labeling, color-coding and checklists emphasize a consistent approach. Those in charge of the area need to be on board with these roles and responsibilities and provide encouragement and guidance. The more committed the area is to these new procedures the more efficient the implementation will be.

S4-Standardize/Schedule Implementation Steps:

Generate ideas to make 5S a standard
Create and update necessary documentation such as work instructions, flow charts, workplace diagrams and procedures
Provide information and training to all necessary people within the company to assure full compliance

S5 – Sustain

The focus of S5-Sustain is to continue with energy initially generated when making these improvements. It is important that those in charge express to employees that this is a top priority. They should also make sure the tasks and schedules set is S4 Standardize/Schedule are being followed. In doing this they may find areas where further improvements could be made.

Next, the 5S initiative needs to be branched out to the other work areas within the company. Each work area should go through this process and share their experiences to help the process run smoother. It is important that team members are awarded with the proper recognition to keep them motivated to continue these new initiatives.

Lastly, it should be recognized that 5S is an on-going initiative that will require constant improvement. If improvements do not continue it is likely these initiatives will disappear which proves the importance in keeping team members dedicated to continuing to build on this new approach.