Lean on 5S in Your Workplace

Prelude: Let’s learn about Lean’s 5S principles for your workplace organisation.

There are files all over your desk, there are consignments waiting to be finished and you’re yet to assign responsibilities to your team. It’s an absolute mess!

Does this seem like a familiar situation? Then you’ve come to the right place. Allow us to demonstrate how Lean 5S principles could be used to make your life at office much better!

The 5S’s stands for –

• Sort
• Set in order
• Shine
• Standardize
• Sustain

These 5 phases of the 5S principles can dramatically change the decorum of your workspace. Let’s find out how!

1. Sort –

“Sort in and sort out,

When in doubt, move it out”

This phase is concerned with identifying needed and un-needed items at your workspace. Firstly, you need to identify area and team members to implement 5S. Asses your present condition, take pictures and prepare a “as is” layout. Assign a red area for all the un-needed items, attach red tags and move them to the red area.

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2. Set in order –

“A place for everything needed,

And everything needed in its place”

This phase would involve brainstorming with your teammates and deciding on a work flow between steps. Re-design the layout if necessary. Create a clear picture of the Aisles, material storage, work stations, Sign boards, Labels, SOP/WI.

3. Shine –

       “Cleaning with meaning”

Brainstorm with your team to discover best ways to maintain the workplace clean and shining. Prepare a shine calendar- How to clean SOP’s. Shine calendar should elaborate – What, Who, When. Finally, prepare visual cleaning SOP’s.

(Download the Productivity Excel sheet to keep a tab of the process)

4. Standardize –

“What systems do we need to maintain first three S’s?”

When the first three S’s are implemented at your workplace, the next step is to develop a standard and a schedule for the whole organization. Visually display 5S’ maintenance standards and make it an integral part of the company culture.

Would Lean knowledge and Certification help us in this process?

5. Sustain –

“System/policies to sustain ‘5S’ culture”

The most important step of the 5S principle is to sustain the developed standards. In order to do this, you need to align 5S principles to the company’s policy, vision and mission. Train and engage everyone on applying 5S concepts. Develop and implement 5S RACI. The final step would involve conducting cross functional audits. Identifying and overcoming gaps continuously.

Applying these 5S principles would ensure that your workspace is Lean and clean!

Do you think Six Sigma tools could help in this process?

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