Although 5S is generally considered to be one of the fundamental building blocks in a lean process, it is also, in my experience, easily misinterpreted and poorly implemented. By exploring the problems with 5S, maybe we can address some of the underlying issues and produce better results in the future.
What is 5S?
5S is a term used to describe workplace practices aimed at improving visual control in a factory and helping to reduce waste. The name 5S itself is based on the 5 Japanese words for the stages of the process which all start with the letter S. They are:
Seiri (Sort)
Seiton (Set In Order)
Seiso (Shine)
Seiketsu (Standardise)
Shitsuke (Sustain)
The five stages of 5S
Sort
The aim of this stage is to verify what is needed to complete the job based on the standard work. Anything that is not required should be red tagged and removed from the area. Material or tools that are used infrequently should also be removed and identified for local storage (ie not directly in the work area).
Common problems at this stage include:
Not removing all unnecessary items (material, tools etc) from the work area.
Not designating a red tag area.
Not completing the red tags and/or documenting what was removed.
Not getting approval to remove red tagged items from all 3 shifts.
Not having an independent adjudicator to settle any disagreements.
Tips to avoid these problems:
Train all operators in 5S and its benefits.
Designate a safe area, large enough to store all of the anticipated red-tagged items.
Explain the importance of completing the tags for recording purposes.
Designate one team member to control the red tag area. They should not allow anything into the area unless it is tagged properly.
Give all operators across shifts a chance to review what has been tagged.
When a disagreement occurs, don’t compromise: if in doubt, move it out! That said, respect that this is somebody’s workplace and apply reasonable judgement when it comes to personal possessions. Better to allow them to feel like a part of the change than to disengage them completely.
Set
During the set phase of a 5S implementation, the team find locations for all of the remaining items after the red tagging. Anything that is left has been deemed necessary to do the job and therefore needs a storage location.
Common problems at this stage include:
Not adhering to ergonomic design principles.
Not locating each part in the optimal position.
Not making it easy to return parts to their location.
Not using visual management principles.
Tips to avoid these problems:
Adhere to ergonomics guidelines.
Locate parts based on frequency of use. The more frequently it is used, the closer at hand it should be.
Utilise spring balancers for tools, so the operator can just let go to return it to it’s location.
Use labelling, colour coding and shadow boards to help any operator identify where things go.
Shine
The third phase of 5S is shine. This is where …