5 S's

[anthonyg]

Hi gang,
Recently been in a company that is struggling with housekeeping essentials and wondered if anyone has got any ideas how to address this issue also could anyone tell me what the S's are in the 5 s system?
Many thanks

[anthonyg]

http://www.safetysolutions.net.au/artic ... ty-with-6S

What a great search engine you have here guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But would still like some housekeeping solutions (mainly between shifts leaving mess for another)

[Safety]

Have you checked this site out, could be of some use...

http://www.tpmonline.com/articles_on_total_productive_maintenance/leanmfg/the5sindetail.htm

[vegiman]

Hi anthony

We did 5 's a good few years ago, we found it was an excellent starting point to get things moving and get the place cleaned but found it difficult to sustain once a few months passed. It is down to down to the management team to keep driving. We also drew a map of our plant and agreed zones that each shift would be responsible for and audited them against it, that was quiet successful.

[Keith1983]

We currently operate a 5's system. I would be very wary of using it as it often gets criticised for being petty and over the top. If you're not careful people will claim it is a H&S tool aswell, which it isn't. Alot of the credibility of 5's will come from those implementing it and like health and safety it needs a common sense approach!

[ScottD]

1. SORT - remove all clutter and keep only what is required in that area

2. SYSTEMISE - Organise items that belong to that area, designate space for the items

3. SANITISE - Deep clean the entire area inside and out, use cleaning as a method of inspection (clean equipment will show up and cracks, leaks etc )

4. STANDARDISE - Create standards like a colour standard for walkways, fencing, guards etc so the whole area is colour coordinated and is easily recognisable to everyone in the organisiation

5. SUSTAIN - Provide training and support so that the areas where 5S have been implemented can be maintained in this new high degree of cleanliness and quality

[itchy beard]

Hi gang,
Recently been in a company that is struggling with housekeeping essentials and wondered if anyone has got any ideas how to address this issue also could anyone tell me what the S's are in the 5 s system?
Many thanks

Hi,
I currently co-ordinate the 5S method in my place of work which covers both shop floor and office based activities.

We have a 5S structure here where I cordinate the 5S champions and 5S representatives who carry out improvements on areas that we identify as unorganised.

The 5S initiative is a great way of ridding the area of unwanted stuff and making the remaining items easy to reach in proportion to there use.
As has already been said, the sustaining part of the initiative is the most difficult, even when the benefits are plain to see.
I have tackled this by asking for a monthly audit to be carried out in that area which measures the current situation against the standards that have been set. I have had the most success by providing a visual audit which contains photos of the area as it was and as it should be along with a simple explaination of what we should be achieving. By working with the people on shopfloor level we have made this audit suit the auditor as well as the initiative.

A good way of ensuring that each shift takes care of all the areas that they work in (and not just their own) is to switch their designated 5S areas quartely and to carry out audits on the area they are due to take over in the quarter running up to the switch. No one wants to take control of a pig sty so the audits are carried out to a high standard and the comments have progressed from criticism to constructive ways of making the area 5S compliant.

You will find that once several areas have been improved all shifts will start to take pride in all areas, the trick is to highlight the initial improvements and each teams effort as much as possible which goes some way to sustaining the initiative. The message that I have been trying to get across is that it is the workforces chance to get the workplace woking to suit them and to remove any little frustrations that they have such as missing parts, items broken or outside their test dates, having to walk long distances to get something etc.

Drop me a PM if you want to have a chat about any part of the initiative (that goes for anyone not just the OP). I'll be glad to share any learning and am keen to pinch any ideas that I can call my own!

[anthonyg]

Many thanks as always for all the help and productive responses

in a word Brilliant !!

[bernicarey]

Be very wary of 5S. it is good, but only when a small pinch of common sense is added. Many proponents of the system are completely blind to anything other than the drive to 100% efficiency, a bit like trying to get perpetual motion.
A few years ago the RAF suffered from getting in Lean Consultants (at great expense to the tax payer of course), who went too far in some areas. But I could rant here for ages on some of the stupid things that were done, just because the so-called experts knew best, even though they didn't understand the actual process they were advising about. Don't get me wrong, much of it was needed, but some of it was just plain stupid, dangerous and more costly in the long term.

The better organisations now use 6S, because that includes 'Safety'...

[itchy beard]

Be very wary of 5S. it is good, but only when a small pinch of common sense is added. Many proponents of the system are completely blind to anything other than the drive to 100% efficiency, a bit like trying to get perpetual motion.
A few years ago the RAF suffered from getting in Lean Consultants (at great expense to the tax payer of course), who went too far in some areas. But I could rant here for ages on some of the stupid things that were done, just because the so-called experts knew best, even though they didn't understand the actual process they were advising about. Don't get me wrong, much of it was needed, but some of it was just plain stupid, dangerous and more costly in the long term.

The better organisations now use 6S, because that includes 'Safety'...

I hear yer'. It's best to let the workers come up with the improvements, I usually point them in the general 5S direction first and let them come up with improvements that work for them.

I'm not convinced of the 6S though, I think safety should be a seperate entity and be a core disipline of employees rather than be tagged onto an initiative. The 5S compliments safety procedures rather than defines them.

I do however agree about the Lean Consultants approach, what looks good on paper doesn't always look good on the shop floor. The best consultants are the people carrying out the task on a daily basis.