Spring Clean Your Organisations' Efficiency!

You may or may not have heard of 5S but our short Blog on this topic will hopefully enlighten you and remind you of the benefits of a clean and tidy work environment.............

What is 5S? It comes from Japan and is 5 Japanese words used to describe a process of improving the working environment. The English translation of these 5 words are: Sort - Store - Shine - Standardise - Sustain. 
So what are the benefits of 5S? Many people mistakenly believe that 5S is just housekeeping but it is far more than that by a long way. If you could improve the efficiency of your Organisation by 10% would you do it? Would you believe that simple reorganisation of your workplace could achieve this or much more. Well 5S can help you achieve efficiency improvements, is a very inexpensive tool to implement and provides a solid foundation upon which to build future improvements within your Organisation.
 

1S Sort

Get rid of what is definitely not needed.

• Take photos (before/after) and then, clear the workplace and remove all un-needed items such as racks, tools, containers, equipment, excess materials
• If in doubt …………….. Throw it out!!!!!!!!
• Check points for your workplace:

1.  Can you find any unnecessary things cluttering up your workplace? 
2.  Are there any unnecessary cables or pipes just left as they are? 
3.  Are there any tools or materials left on the floor? 
4.   Are all unnecessary items sorted out, classified, stored and labelled?  
5.  Are all equipment and tools properly classified and stored?

2s Store

Organise what’s left!  Arrange and identify for ease of use.

• Everything has a place:  Everything in it’s place
• Designate locations in a variety of ways:
•  Lines on the floor
• Signs hung from the ceiling
• Shadow boards for tools 
• Use photographs of how it should look:
• Take a photo of how a meeting room should be left
• Place a photo on he inside of a cupboard door to show how it should look

3s  Shine

Clean up what’s left and then clean daily.

• Paint, refurbish, etc…. Get the remaining items into the same condition as when they were new
• Cleaning is also careful checking
• Check points for your workplace:

1. Look carefully at the floor, aisles and around machines & equipment.  How much oil, dirt, dust and rubbish can you find?
2. Are any parts of the machine dirty? (Possible early warning signs of wear and tear!)
3. Are any air, electrical supply lines or gas and water pipes oily, dirty or in need of repair?
4. Are light bulbs, reflectors or shades dirty?

This is as far as many organisations get. The next two S’s are harder and often get forgotten about. This is why 5S often fails when Organisations try to implement it.

4s  Standardise

Standardise cleanup methods - Orderliness is the core of this step. Ensure everyone is clear on what the standards are and create a consistent approach for carrying out tasks and procedures. Recognise and reward the right behaviours; coach and correct deviations from the standards.

• Make Sort, Storage and Shine a daily habit
• Assign responsibilities to apply these procedures - ownership is key
• Integrate Sort, Storage and Shine into regular work activities, e.g. tidy desk policy / work area at the end of the day
• Check on the maintenance of Sort, Storage and Shine
• Check point for your workplace:

1. Do you have standards, procedures and assigned responsibilities for Sort, Storage and Shine?

5s  Sustain

Set discipline and make it a way of working. Regularly audit against the agreed standards and involve / empower the workforce.

• Follow the rules that you set!
• Involve everyone in the production of Standard Documents and Check Sheets
• Develop habits you won’t forget!
• Offer incentives / prizes for the highest scoring areas
• Check points for your workplace:

1. Do you have a daily inspection routine and is it followed?
2. Do you have a regularly maintained 5S radar chart?

If you follow ALL five of these steps then you will be pleasantly surprised at the benefits you can realise:

• Improve Safety
• Decrease 'down time'
• Raise employee morale
• Identify problems more quickly
• Develop control through visibility
• Establish convenient work practices
• Increase product and process quality
• Strengthen employees' pride in their work
• Promote stronger communication among staff
• Empower employees to sustain their work area

So take a look at your office, meeting room, production or work area and ask yourself if it is an environment you are proud to work in. If the answer is "no" then maybe it's time to think about implementing 5S.