5S Awareness!

5S 

One of the most powerful Lean Manufacturing Tools and a cornerstone of any successful implementation is that of 5S, but what is 5S and its 5 Steps of Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke?

5S is a simple tool for organizing your workplace in a clean, efficient and safe manner to enhance your productivity, visual management and to ensure the introduction of standardized working.

Most of the other definitions of 5S and descriptions that I see here on the internet concentrate heavily on the aesthetics and the efficiency gains that you achieve through implementing 5S and neglect the real aim of 5S; the need to introduce standard operational practices to ensure efficient, repeatable, safe ways of working.

In addition to standardised working which provides you with a stable foundation to build all of your other improvements through implementing Lean Tools, you also provide a highly visual workplace. One of the most important factors of 5S is that it makes problems immediately obvious.

5S is a team run process and should be conducted by the people who work within the area in which the principles of 5S are being applied, it is not a tool that can be applied by an outsider onto an area without the knowledge and cooperation of the people within it.

Sort

Sort is the identification of the most successful physical organization of the workplace.  It has been variously defined as Sort, Systematization or Simplify. It is the series of steps by which we identify things which are being held in the workplace when they shouldn't, or are being held in the wrong place. Put simply, we may identify a large area devoted to tools or gauges, some of which are needed regularly and some used infrequently. This brings all sorts of problems, including:

• Operators unable to find the item they need, being unable to see wood for trees. The time spent searching is a waste and if we only held the items needed regularly in a prominent position we would save time.
• Quality issues when gauges are not calibrated on time because too many are held.
• Safety issues when people fall over things.
• Lockers and racking cluttering the workplace making it hard to move around or to see each other and communicate.

We have to eliminate excess materials and (work-in-process), WIP. We should see inventory and WIP reduction as part of the implementation of the lean approach or as an element of 5S. Excess materials and inventory, are in fact, wastes. The answer is that keeping inventory and WIP to a minimum is simply a good practice using common sense.

The major element of Sort is simply a critical, objective look at the area. Involving cross-functional teams, or looking at each other's areas, is the first step. People tend to be blind to failings in their own work place and a fresh pair of eyes are useful.

Another element of the standard approach is 'red tagging' where items are given a tag which says what the item is, which location it is in, and when it was identified in this location. We then leave the area for a while and anybody using the item notes this. We go back some time later and can readily identify things that haven't moved, or been used. Items which have not been used can then potentially be disposed of in that area. As a first pass we should perhaps create a quarantine area before throwing items away, selling them or reworking them into something else. Other items may be deemed necessary, but used infrequently and so an alternative location can be found. If the operator needs a particular tool only once or twice a month then a short walk is not a problem, especially if the space saved on the workbench helps to make the workplace more productive, or helps address quality issues.

 

Set

Setting is the series of steps by which the optimum organization identified in the first pillar, sort, and are put into place. The standard translation is orderliness, set in order, straighten and standardization. The sorting out process is essentially a continuation of that described in the Set phase. Removing items to be discarded or held in an alternative location will create space. This space will be visible and facilitate the alternative layout of the area.

In some cases, of course, we are talking about what a fitter will have on his bench, or in racks alongside the bench. In other cases we may be considering where we should locate a piece of equipment, for example, we may relocate a coin press to enable items to be completed in one work area rather than requiring a significant movement down the shop.

This is something which we also undertake when adopting cellular manufacturing. We then look at how we can restructure the work content so that certain operations can be carried out within the cycle of others: for example we may carry out a trimming operation on a steel component while the press which produced it is busy creating the next one.

Standardization includes all the elements of setting out a consistent way of doing things. This includes standard manufacturing methodologies, standard equipment and tooling, component rationalization, drawing standardization, consistency in the documentation which accompanies work, design for manufacture (or concurrent engineering) and standardization in the clerical processes which deliver work to the shop floor and track its progress.

All of this could be said to be part of a basic Total Quality approach. The standard ways of doing things should include error-proofing all areas in the workplace.

 

Shine

Shine, sweeping or cleanliness are addressed in this phase.  The principle here is that we are all happier and hence more productive in clean, bright environments. There is a more practical element in that if everything is clean it is immediately ready for use.

We would not want a precision product to be adjusted by a spanner that is covered in grease which may get into some pneumatic or hydraulic fittings. We would not wish to compromise a PCB assembly by metallic dust picked up from an unclean work surface. Other issues are health and safety (perhaps slipping in a puddle of oil, shavings blowing into people's eyes) and machine tools damaged by coolant contaminated by grease and dust.

The task is to establish the maintenance of a clean environment as an ongoing, continuous program. Sometime should be set aside for cleaning each day, or each shift. (An operator cleaning and lubricating his machine tool, will spot worn or damaged components in advance of problems occurring during production.)

Cleaning is a big part of preventive maintenance (PM). Cleaning critical components of a piece of equipment is already one element of the activities carried out under the PM banner.

The implementation of Shine revolves around two main elements. First, this identifies who is responsible for which areas. Secondly, is the schedule, which says who does what at which times and on which days. Some of these happen before a shift begins, some during the shift and some at the end. Again, this is very reminiscent of what we do when adopting PM.

The goal is to minimize the downtime needed to keep the facilities clean.

All operators must make sure that the equipment needed to clean is always available, always ready for use. The excellent parallel to this is set-up reduction. We are talking about simply using common sense. We do not wish to allocate 5 minutes for a bed to be swept on a piece of grinding equipment if the operator is going to spend 4 minutes finding his brush.

 

Standardization

Standardization can be the thought of as the means by which we maintain the first three 5S concepts. There is a danger in any improvement activity that once the focus is removed and another top priority arises, things go back to the way they were before (the informal system).  To prevent a relapse to informal pre-5S, set a schedule by which all the elements are revisited on a regular basis. Focus on controlling 5S and maintaining it continuously.

Continue to red tag the areas, involving people from other departments of the business for a check and balance system. This will identify where standards have slipped. We can’t let them slip after the implementation of this formal system! Review all areas monthly or quarterly to insure %S is being properly maintained and discipline is still in place.

A checklist can be implemented whereby the external visitors can mark the area on a number of key criteria defined at the outset of the program. Are the storage areas still clearly defined? Does the tool rack still have clear outlines or profiles for each tool to be stored in it? Does the area meet the general standards of cleanliness?

 

Sustain

The final stage of sustain is discipline.  Sustain means a formal, rigorous review program to ensure that the benefits of the approach are maintained.

We have to make people want to keep applying good practice in shop organization and housekeeping. In this sense, discipline is perhaps an unfortunate term as it implies people forced to do something, with consequent penalties if they do not. If this must be done to sustain 5S, we have to do it after implementation.

There are a number of elements to any ongoing improvement activity in any business. Of course, each organization varies with the history and culture of that organization.  The key points are:

• Communication. We need people to be aware of what we are trying to achieve, and why.
• Education. They need to understand the concepts and the individual techniques.
• Rewards and Recognition. People need to feel that their efforts are recognized. Whether the reward is a senior manager walking past and saying "that's very good, well done" or some form of award (financial gain, prize or formal presentation of a certificate) depends on the organization.
• Time. If we want people to spend five minutes every four hours removing debris from the floor around their machine we have to make sure that we allow them this time. We cannot give this as an instruction yet at the same time push for more time spent achieving productivity targets.
• Structure. We need to identify what is to be done, by whom, and ensure that schedules are updated and clearly visible.

 

What are the benefits of 5S?

Less Waste Equals Improved Efficiency

A key principle of 5S is to get rid of items that are not used, and make it easier to find items that are needed. This gets rid of clutter, unnecessary tools, scrap materials and unused supplies. It organizes, labels and places close at hand those tools and materials that are needed on a regular basis. The result is that time is spent more productively and less time is wasted finding needed tools and materials.

In 5S, materials, tools, machines and equipment are positioned in ergonomic locations. This helps reduce fatigue, quickens access, and results in a more efficient workplace. Ergonomic positioning helps to address and eliminate the seven wastes.

Standardization is also a part of 5S. Standardization ensures that the most efficient work practices are identified and used, and that wasteful work practices, unnecessary tools, unused materials are eliminated.

Less Space Used For Storage Equals Reduced Costs

By eliminating unused materials, tools and equipment, and getting rid of clutter, a surprising amount of space will free up. There is a cost associated with space, not only in the rental or lease costs, but in heating/cooling, cleaning and maintaining of that space.

Clean Equals Improved Maintenance & Less Down Time

When machines, equipment, and tools are kept clean and free from clutter, it is easier to spot defects, part failures, and problems such as an oil leak. This allows preventative maintenance to address the problem before it becomes a more serious problem.

For example, if a machine is kept clean, an oil leak would immediately be noticed. The source and cause of the leak can be quickly identified and the problem fixed, before low oil levels lead to more serious damage to the machine.

Implementing 5S Equals Improved Safety

• Cleanliness ensures spills get cleaned up ASAP, eliminating the potential for slips and falls.
• Clutter is removed, revealing hidden electrical, chemical or mechanical hazards.
• Having needed tools, materials and supplies close to where they are needed greatly reduces travel (movement) and as a result reduces the potential for injury.
• Unsafe practices are eliminated through the standardization step of 5S
• Employees who have their eyes open for spotting ways to improve using 5S principles will be more aware of their surroundings and potential safety hazards.

Improved Morale Equals Greater Commitment to Job

When your employees see you care about them, their work area, and that you value their input, they care more about their job. The clean, organized workplace that results from 5S is a more pleasant workplace that leads to improved employee attitudes. The focus on cleanliness, organization, labor-saving efficiency, having the right tools, and using quality standards leads to an increased pride in workmanship.

Add in the improved safety (lower numbers of injuries) resulting from 5S and you get a workforce that is happier (less turn-over), more motivated, is getting more done with less effort, and is interested in improving their workplace and your products.