5sAn introduction

By Sarah Bridge

Objectives

To understand the importance of 5s to our Lean

initiatives.

To know what the 5S’s are and know the key

benefits of each.

To be able to participate in group and individual

5s activities.

What is 5s?

The Average Factory Environment

Sort

• Everything at the workplace should be related to

the work being done there.

• Leave only what is needed, in the amounts

needed.

• Remove all items that are not needed for current /

regular production.

Benefits of sort

• Keeps the work area clean and clutter free.

• Reduces the risk of accidents and near misses.

• Creates extra work space where necessary items

can be placed.

• Reduces the time spent searching for tools and

equipment.

• Less clutter results in a more pleasant working

environment.

• A method of identifying potentially unneeded

items in the work area.

• Ensures that no needed items are accidentally

disposed of.

• Allows us to evaluate the usefulness of an item

by segregating it when we are unsure of it’s use.

Red Tagging

• The three questions to ask

- Is this item needed?

- If it is needed, is it needed in this quantity?

- If it is needed, is this the best location for it?

• Holding areas

- A safety net between questioning whether something is needed and getting rid of it.

- Items are held for a set time (30 days?).

- Notices are put out for unknown items so that they may be claimed by anybody who has a genuine need for them.

After the allocated time, unwanted items are disposed of.

Red Tagging

• Define the necessity of the item in order to perform the work required on a day to day basis.

- If it isn’t needed it should be disposed of.

• Determine the frequency with which the item is needed.

- If it’s needed infrequently it can be stored away from the work area.

• Decide the quantity of the item required to perform the regular work.

- Excess items can be disposed or stored away.

Red Tagging Aims

• Establish red tag holding area.

- An area is set aside to store tagged items which need further evaluation

• Red tag items.

- the 5s team goes through the 5s area and red tags all items they believe can be removed from the area or disposed of.

- Any items that we are unsure of are also red tagged.

- All tagged items are listed on a log sheet with a location and description.

- this log is circulated throughout the company so that anybody may claim an item if it is required.

Red Tagging Steps

• Evaluate the red tagged items.- Decide if items should be disposed of, or kept for a period to

determine their necessity.

• Remove questionable items to the red tag holding area.

- Assign responsibility of the area to the team.

- Circulate item log.

- After 30 days the items should be reviewed a final time. Log any items which have been removed back to the work area due to being required.

- Dispose of, store away from the area, or sell any items left after the time period has passed.

Red Tagging Steps

• Defective tools or inventory.

• Obsolete tooling, jigs, inventory.

• Worn out tools.

• Broken equipment.

• Outdated posters, signs & notices.

• Excessive quantities of materials, tools, supplies.

• Excessive personal items.

Examples of Unneeded Items

After Sorting

• Everything that remains after Sort should have a

place.

• Arrange things so that they are easy to use, and

label them so that anyone can find them and put

them away.

• Place frequently used items closer to you than

those used less often.

Set

• For every item in the workplace we will need to:

- Identify it.

- allocate a place to store it.

- Determine how much / how many to store at the

workplace.

- Create a visual marker for it.

Set

• Decide where to keep needed items.- Keep frequently used items at point of use.

- Screwdrivers next to screws, order of use.

• Organise items in a way that makes sense.- Make it easy for anyone to find them, use them and put them

back after use.

- Make it obvious when items are not in their correct place.

- Use visual indicators such as area photos to show the area

in it’s correct state.

Set

• Safety is improved.- Ergonomic storage of tools and materials.

- Clean, clutter free floors and walkways.

• Tools and parts are stored properly so there’s less

damage.

• Less waste of motion – reduced searching for

materials, tools & supplies.

• Reduced inventory of materials, supplies, leaving

more free space.

• A more pleasant working environment.

Benefits of Set

• Standardisation- Creating a consistent method of carrying out tasks and

procedures.

• Visual controls- Used to identify standards.

- Examples;

• Where items belong and how many belong there.

• Standard procedures.

• Area photographs.

• Colour coding

• Restock markers

Keys to Set

• Used for identifying locations on floors and

walkways.

• Segregate working areas from walkways.

• May show:- Flow direction.

- Storage location.

- Hazards or safety devices.

- Areas to be kept clear.

Painting / Marking

• Colour coding- Shows which parts, tools etc are used for which purpose, or

which items are used together.

- Used for storage containers.

- Used to set items to a specific work area.

• Outlining- Shows what parts and tools go where.

- Shadow boards.

• Cross hatching- Areas to be kept clear.

Painting / Marking

Examples of Set

After Set

• Clean the area- Remove all dust, dirt

- Floors clean

- Work surfaces clean

- Inside all cupboards, drawers etc clean

- All tools clean

• A clean workplace suggests quality work!

Shine

• Safety- No debris, fluids or materials on floor to cause slips, trips or

falls

• Morale- Dirty workplaces are unpleasant to work in.

- Clean workplaces foster pride in what we do.

• Customer service / satisfaction- Customers touring a clean and organised factory are more

likely to see us as a quality driven business and want to

work with us.

Benefits of Shine

• Machine reliability- Easier to identify issues on clean machines, meaning they

can be addressed sooner.

- Cleaning is a form of inspection.

• Equipment / Tools- Clean equipment functions more effectively.

- Easier to spot damage or wear on clean equipment and

tools than on dirty ones.

Benefits of Shine

After Shine

• All procedures, practices and activities

established with the first 3s’s occur consistently

and at regular intervals.

- There is no point in going through Sort, Set or Shine

if we are going to let things go back to the way they

were.

• Makes implementing Sort, Set and Shine a daily

habit so that conditions are maintained at the

desired level.

Standardise

• Safety- Walkways and floors are kept clear and hazard free.

• Efficiency- Storage areas remain organised.

- Materials, tools and equipment remain organised and cared

for.

• We maintain all the benefits gained from Sort, Set

and Shine.

• We have a template for expanding the 5s area

across the whole plant.

Benefits of Standardising

• Decide who is responsible for each activity / area.- Activity charts, Checklists, Schedules.

• Integrate 5s into daily work activities.- 5 minute 5s, daily cleaning / inspection.

• Ensure 5s conditions are being maintained.- 5s audits, 5s walk rounds.

Establishing the Habits

After Standardise

• 5s Audits.- Checking the level of effectiveness of the first 3s’s.

- Use traffic light system, green, amber, red, to display

current state of area.

- To be conducted routinely by operators, managers and

directors.

• 5s Walk rounds.

- Weekly tours by managers / directors to note

improvements made and to encourage any further

improvements that can be made.

Monitoring

• Having the discipline to maintain the correct

standards over time.

• Creating conditions, and an atmosphere that

encourages the constant practice of good habits,

and the elimination of bad ones.

• Creating a culture which constantly looks for

improvement opportunities.

Sustain

• A workforce that is trained and aware of the benefits of 5s.

• Time allowed to practice and maintain.

• Organised, focussed effort.

• Management support and drive.

• Efforts that are recognised, and appreciated.

• All improvements need to be beneficial and purposeful.

Keys to Success

After Sustain

Recap

• Sort – To put things in order.- Remove what is not needed.

• Set – Arrange for ease of use.- Place things in a way that they are easily accessible whenever they

are needed.

• Shine – Clean.- Keep area clean and free from rubbish.

• Standardise.- Best practices to be used throughout.

• Sustain – Commitment and self discipline.- Develop a culture of 5s and improvement.

The 5S’s

• Reduced set-up

times.

• Reduced searching

times.

• Increased floor space.

• More pleasant

working area.

• Employees enabled to

lead improvements.

• Less frustration.

• Less wasted labour.

• Better equipment

reliability.

• Higher quality.

• Lower cost.

• Safer working area.

• & many, many other

benefits.

Benefits

• Challenge traditional ideas.

• Find ways to make the impossible possible.

• Don’t accept excuses.

• Go for the simple solution, don’t overcomplicate

things.

• Correct mistakes right away.

• Involve everybody.

• Improvement never ends!

Keys to Success

Questions?