The 5-S System is one of the most powerful activities of lean manufacturing. The 5-S philosophy focuses on simplifying the work environment, reducing waste, and improving quality and safety.

It's the natural place to start your lean effort because lean is all about eliminating nonvalue-added activities.

5-S consists of these five steps:

• Sort through and sort out
• Standardize and share information
• Set in order
• Sustain the improvements made
• Shine and inspect through cleaning

Objectives

To establish basic workplace conditions and lay the groundwork for the successful implementation of lean manufacturing.

Training approach

• Classroom training
• Floor work
• Small groups
• Before and after comparisons

Benefits

• Eliminate clutter, disorganization, and dirt that make successful lean manufacturing difficult, if not impossible
• Establish basic workplace conditions—the essential first step in creating a manufacturing cell
• Improve and standardize work conditions for safe and effective operation
• Avoid poor work conditions that lead to wastes such as:
  • extra motion to avoid obstacles
  • time spent searching for things
  • delays due to defects, machine failures, and accidents
• Decrease changeover time and downtime
• Boost employee morale

5-S Tools

• Sorting, red tagging, creating logs
• Shining moveable and unmoveable items (machines, floors, walls, shelves, etc.)
• Creating shadow boards
• Sustainability—setting schedules for cleaning, auditing, and educating others

Examples

A truck cover manufacturer standardized its housekeeping efforts, inventory control methods, and business practices, resulting in a 50-percent reduction of inventory costs and a 67-percent increase in sales.

After the implementation of the 5S system by a window manufacturing company, productivity was increased by 35 percent and overtime was reduced by 45 percent.

Source: Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center
Phone:  (800) 653-4333
Web: www.mamtc.com