July 14, 2016 Industry Forum Blog Scary statement! You have never done and finished with 5S. This lean tool is used not only to carry out an initial workplace organisation activity, but should become part of your daily routine. 5S, also known as 5C, is the 5 step technique that organises, maintains and improves any workplace so that it is safe and supports sustainable quality, cost and delivery performance. For you to get these essential business benefits you need to ensure that it is not just a one off activity. And if you are struggling with this, be assured you are not alone. Even world class plants can on occasion struggle to maintain what we call the 5S standard. About 15 years ago a colleague visited the Honda plant near Swindon, and was amazed when the person in charge apologised for their 5S standard! While they may have been in the middle of introducing a new model on the line, they still did not see that as a valid excuse for any lapse. At the other end of the country, Nissan don’t actually practise 5S. They have 3S! This is because they have ingrained the technique so deeply in their culture and daily work routines that they no longer list the last two steps. So how do we achieve this? You must start from a solid foundation. Let’s assume that you have already followed best practice to the letter (see our 5S guide). You have conducted the initial 3S activity to set and maintain a standard. The employees in the area have created and use simple 5S checklists. You and your team regularly find ways to further improve on that standard; the 4th step Standardise. You come up with modifications to make it easier or quicker to maintain the condition. And you identify re-occurring abnormal conditions from the Red Tag Log and countermeasure these to prevent re-occurrence. Step 5 – Sustain The aim of this step is for the technique to become custom and practise throughout the whole organisation. Here are my top 7 tips on how to achieve this Ensure you apply the technique in every department. Involve every member of staff, not just in the training but in the practical application as well. Include 5S training in the induction programme for every employee, no matter what level. Define each individual’s 5S responsibilities as part of their job description. Be consistent in your application. Don’t abandon 5S because of work pressures (remember Honda). Always provide the time and equipment for people to conduct their responsibilities. Don’t have special clean ups or hide things for visitors – this completely undermines and devalues the technique. Encourage staff from the area to show visitors round and explain the 5S standard. People take more ownership when they can express pride in what they do. Use a layered audit system to provide rigorous reinforcement of the importance of maintaining the standard. 5S is one of the foundation improvement tools. These are used to stabilise performance of the workplace and achieve customer satisfaction. Let it slip and it will undermine any other improvements you try and make, as well as affecting performance. At the workplace use your daily checksheets. Get these checked weekly by area leaders. Review prevention measures monthly. Have senior managers assess the spirit of deployment on a quarterly basis. Get them to ask probing questions. If you need additional help in ensuring 5S works for you then please contact the IF team.
