5S is the simplest, most visible tool in the box to gauge readiness and progress, therefore i must respectfully disagree and say it is perhaps the most essential tool for a succesful company.

In my experience, the "failing" of 5S comes from companies looking to have the "look and feel" of "Lean" instead of embracing the "heart and soul" of "continuous improvement"

for example, the "look and feel" of 5S (or 6S as some companies have implemented) is to have areas neat and orderly.  the "heart and soul" of 5S is discipline, visual management, and dedicated, immediate response to anomalies, etc.  These are all the core values (e.g. the heart and soul) of a successful "continuous improvement" company.

I respectfully submit that without the "heart and soul" of 5S, any other tools will certainly fail.  If a company cannot/will not practice the discipline to keep a workstation (workshop, factory, office, etc) neat and orderly, how can the company expect to have the discipline to follow standard work? or kanban? or any other tool in the "toolheads" tool box.....

I do agree with you that the measurable results of 5S are less than stellar from a business impact (at least the immediate short term that too many execs look for...another topic that is a thorn!), but yields IMMENSE return in assessing a company's readiness for other tools/techniques.  EVEN when implemented coincident (as you proposed) to other activities.  The incredibly simple, straightforward visual measurement of 5S yields immeasurable gains in the ability to gauge the progress. 

For example, if a company were to set-up a model cell as you suggest, the 5S "measurement" (and not some arbitrary scale on a data collection sheet, but the actual view of what is happening) yields a near perfect assessment of the sustainability of the "model cell".  If the team in the cell waits until the end of the day to clean up any mess, they have "failed" in 5S and have modified the process to meet a different goal.  VERY TELLING!  If the discipline is missing for the utter basic of "clean and safe" is distorted, there will surely be other distortions throughout the model cell.

the above "measurements" are unlikely to show up on any "5S progress chart" as the actions will be taken in time for the "official measurement".  the discipline to practice the "heart and soul" comes from every step of every action being analyzed and understood and the discipline to follow a process until it can be improved.

Therefore, 5S is the simplest, most visible tool in the box to gauge readiness and progress, therefore i must respectfully disagree and say it is perhaps the most essential tool for a successful company.

Or, better, dear R.A. Johnson, liver & soul: these days we're more concerned with liver than with heart. Mr. Anderson adds salt and vinegar to the wound: like Six Sigma, 5S has become a fashionable "must", the effectiveness of which, like 3M laments, is all but confirmed. It has therefore also to be lamented that we quality professionals are lured by lark-mirrors, too, in spite of our education & of our pretended-to-be factual quests. May be we should leave easy enthusiasm to the quality kids, and we - quality white bearded men - do, may be cynically , look at quality tools as they actually are. Thank you.