5S is an integral part of Lean Manufacturing since it focuses heavily on the elimination of waste.
This video will teach you how Standardize 5S at your company so you may realize all of the benefits
5S has to offer.
In review, the 5S's are Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain in that order.
We will focus on Standardize for the remainder of this presentation.
Lets look at each area individually and see how we can implement 5S Standardize, starting with Sort.
When you begin your 5S journey, training the employees on 5S should be the first thing you do,
so having standardized training means teaching the employees the same materials in the same manner
each time.
Using the same red tags during sort will make it easier for the employees to fill out since they
will be familiar with them. And we should also have a simple procedure on how to perform sort.
Make your procedures easy to read and understand by all, and make it a visual tool, posted in the
area being sorted. We also need to standardize our red tag hold areas so everyone knows what they
are for and how they are to be used. Lets see how we can standardize when it comes to set-in-order.
We can standardize our emergency equipment by using the same first aid kits, and we can mark the
locations of first aid kits and fire extinguishers the same way so it is clear to everyone where the
emergency equipment is.
Standardizing the packaging materials we use to transport product through our plant will make it
simpler for our employees to use and will offer the best protection for our product. We can
standardize the way we store our tools. This way, when employees work in different areas,
they will be totally familiar with where to find the items they need. And having standardized visual
instructions posted will give employees the information they need when they need it. The work flow
will be readily apparent when we standardize set-in-order throughout the factory.
We can standardize the color code system we use to mark our floors. Marking our floors is a great
visual tool that can be understood by all. Using a similar color code system for the tools we use,
makes it much quicker for employees to find the tools they need. And having a color code system for
the bins you use can also be can be a great visual cue to all employees. When you use the same label
makers throughout the factory, you eliminate any learning curve.
And by using the same label makers, your labels will be consistently recognizable by employees,
making it easier for them to find the items they need. Kanban boards should be standardized so
they will be easy to understand and use by all employees. And when we develop performance
measurement boards that look the same throughout the factory, employees will be able to read
and understand them easily. Now let's see how we can standardize when it comes to shine. Our
cleaning supplies need to be stored and organized the same everywhere. Employees should be able
to find what they need in every department. We should standardize the cleaners we use and they
should be clearly labeled using the same format. Assignment boards that are standardized throughout the factory will make it clear to all employees
who is responsible for doing what.
Now let's see how standardize applies to Sustain. It is essential to have a standardized
approach to performing 5S audits. It must be consistent and fair. Having a procedure on how to conduct
5S audits would be very helpful to ensure consistency. Having a standard 5S checklist we use for
our audit will also ensure we are consistent. We can also have a standard approach to problem solving
when we encounter problems with sort, set in order or shine. We can even use pictures to show what
the workplace should look like and they can be posted up. The benefits of standardizing sort,
set-in-order, shine, and sustain are many, You will have created an environment where there will be
no question about how things are to be done. And an environment where everything will be done the
same by everybody.
All aspects of 5S become a habit and a way of life for all employees. And by standardizing, you will
also be helping to sustain all of your efforts of implementing 5S.
We hope you have enjoyed this presentation. We know implementing 5S can be difficult, so if you
need help training employees or implementing 5Sgive us a call today. We're the guys who make
this process simple!
Dave is the Executive Vice President of Xtreme Lean Consulting.
He has over 42 years experience working with senior management teams in planning and implementing growth and profitability initiatives, with an emphasis on driving market share through efficiency and extraordinary customer service. Dave is a well organized professional with strong conceptual and practical skills. He has a proven ability to identify a company's market-driven improvement needs, and then use Lean/continuous improvement techniques to increase performance and earnings.
