The Fifteen Minute Guide to 5S

Popular 5S Fairy Tales and Mythology

There's plenty of popular folklore surrounding 5S and we're sure you've heard plenty of it:

"So over-organized that even my phone, stapler and lunch box have their outlined spaces on my desk."

"Desk-tops so clean we're lucky to have one family picture there."

"Somehow we're expected to keep all our personal belongings in one drawer and we're lucky to get that."

"Just another variation of our old 'Tidy Friday.'"

 "Most likely a sinister plot to somehow reduce headcount."

The list of comments you've heard from others seems endless, and then there are your own personal feelings about 5S.

So, how much of this is true?

Answer: NONE OF THE ABOVE! ! ! !

The Real Story

A lot of us are being asked to do things differently today than we have in the past. That means doing things more efficiently and sometimes more effectively so we can compete and sell more repairs and services in today's more competitive business world. All these expectations can add stress to our lives at home and in our work place.

But there is a way to work better, quicker and smarter while we reduce the stress that comes from new challenges.

It's called 5S.

5S is a simple, logical approach to organizing our work place and the daily processes we all use. It's something we do individually and something we do together as we establish common processes in our working groups.

Breaking down the barriers.

Think about your area for a while and the barriers you encounter as you try to do your daily work.

Not all of these may apply, but you've probably had similar experiences.

The tools (like supplies, documents, or correspondence, for example) aren't always easily located when you need them. Sometimes you find that your common areas aren't very common.  All our work shift options sometimes make it difficult to tie-in with one another and know what's really going on. Conference rooms are sometimes in disarray and poorly supplied when you arrive to use them. All of us have the tools to do our jobs, but, in the case of computers for example, we sometimes lack the basic knowledge to use them efficiently.

These obstacles and all the others that affect you can be overcome by applying the simple common sense approach 5S brings. When we apply the 5S principles and continue to support them we can permanently eliminate barriers that diminish our efficiency. Without them we can all do our jobs better.

 What I'd like to see in my workplace.

·         The tools I need to do my job are always there when I need them.

·         The common areas we share together are truly common and visitor friendly.

·         Employees, on different shifts, support each other through a designated backup who understands their processes.

·         Conference rooms properly maintained with the help of 5S maps and supply trays.

·         Trained employees who not only have the proper tools to do their jobs, but also have the knowledge to use those tools in the most efficient way.

All of this and more is possible if we use 5S everyday.

So where to begin with 5S -- the details

The way we attack these types of barriers is by using one or more of the 5S principles.  These are: Sorting, Sweeping, Simplifying, Standardizing and Self-discipline.  Sounds complicated, but it's not. In the next few sections we'll cover each one and give you some suggestions for how you can go about applying them in your workplace. But first here's a quick overview for 5S:

1.     Sorting - Separate the necessary from the unnecessary

2.     Simplifying - A place for everything and everything in its place, clean and ready to use

3.     Sweeping - Keep the workplace organized

4.     Standardizing - Maintain the gain by documenting processes and desk procedures

5.     Sustaining - Follow-through and continuous improvement of the workplace and procedures

How to do SORT

There's really nothing to it!

1.     Take a look at your workplace / common area / workstation / conference room.

2.     Decide what you need to do your job. (For example, documents, computing files and programs, supplies, etc.)

3.     Decide what you don't need and decide what to do with it. Touch every item.

4.     Disposition every item. What you can do with things each item is: keep it, archive it, surplus it, give it to someone else (through the auction process), or throw it away.

5.     Document a simple process to deal with new stuff that comes into your workplace, and to replenish things that get used up. Maintain the gain.

6.     Continuously improve and work the process you developed.

When looking at common areas, be sure to get together with your co-workers. Decide who will have responsibility for keeping up the area and how the work will be shared.  For conference rooms, make sure that a focal is appointed, and their phone number is posted in the room.

How to SIMPLIFY

1.     Look at your workplace and think about how you work

2.     Decide the best way to organize your tools and data

3.       Organize your tools and data:

·         For non-electronic files, documents, and supplies - Determine what you use most frequently and decide the best location for it.

4.     For electronic files - Decide on a file structure to separate data from applications, and move all files as needed.

·         Make sure other people know how to locate things in the work area. Post lists, a map, or labels as needed.

5.     Document a process to keep everything in its place, and maintain the gain

6.     Do and continuously improve your process

How to SWEEP

OK, your workspace is organized. How do you keep it that way day-to-day?

The answer is - a daily practice called SWEEP.

1.     Think about what you do with things in your workspace. Does everything get put back where it belongs? Do you end every day with a regular routine? Do electronic files clutter up your hard drive, or does every file get put where you can find it?

2.     Decide what you need to do to keep your workspace usable during the day, and what level of clutter is OK for you during work hours. Decide how you want your workspace to be in the morning when you start. Tip: You may want to consider backing up your electronic data regularly.

3.     Develop the habit of putting things away when not in use. (This means everything has to have a place to go - that's why you did the SIMPLIFY.) Develop the habit of taking care of new stuff in a timely fashion instead of letting it pile up.

·         Make a list of things you have to do each night to spruce up your workspace for the next morning. Keep the list brief.

·         If you use electronic media, make sure data backups are on the list. If you do partial backups daily and more extensive backups weekly or monthly, your list should say so.

·         Consider keeping your data on a file server that is routinely backed up by professional data center.

·         Staff - this may be easier and more reliable than your doing it yourself.

4.     Document what procedures you need to perform your daily SWEEP. Your backup should also know these procedures and should know the location of important items in your workspace.

5.     Do your SWEEP every day and throughout the day, and look for ways to make it easier and more reliable.

STANDARDIZE your work processes and procedures

Now your workspace is efficient. You can find what you need, and - just as important - so can your backup. But - how can you maintain this in a changing environment, and keep track of your processes? If you change jobs, how do you hand it off to your successor?

And then it hits you - write it down! That's what STANDARDIZE is all about.

1.     Think about your work. Are there some tasks that you do over and over? Could you show someone else your filing system in 5 minutes - or does it seem like every new piece of data is an exception to the rule?

2.     Make lists. Some possibilities: 

·         A list of the things you do.

·         A list of the kinds of information you use.

·         A list of the meetings you attend.

·         A list of the people outside your organization you need to know.

·         Put these lists in a binder, label the binder, and put it someplace where others can find it.

3.     Determine what your processes and procedures are. Determine how you will document your processes and procedures. Decide on a way to keep your written desk procedures up-to-date.

 .4Document your work processes     : 

·         Using the list of things you do, make flowcharts of your work.

·         Document the desk procedures that support your flowcharts.

·         A desk procedure is a description of the tasks in a process - it describes the steps to take and the buttons to push to get something done. Keep it simple - write down the 'bare bones' of the procedure with just enough detail so that you would understand it yourself if you read it later. Don't write an encyclopedia!

5.     Continuously maintain your processes and procedures - keep them up-to-date. Look for ways to improve them. When errors happen (and they will), learn from them. Ask for feedback from your customers.

SUSTAINING

Now that you've removed barriers, documented processes and procedures, and maybe heard from customers about your improved service, you might begin to wonder if there can be any more to 5S than this? Well - no.

Except that your work life will gradually return to chaos over time, unless you do something to maintain the gain.

The 'something' is ‘Sustaining’.

1.     Think about your work habits. Your work area was clean a week ago - is it still clean today? You wrote a terrific procedure a month ago - do you follow it? The conference room was in great shape yesterday - are the viewfoil pens still there today?

2.     Decide what you need to be more consistent about. Be honest (you don't have to tell anyone). If you find 13 things you want to improve - don't do them all at once - work on one at a time. If you can't think of anything, pick something you already do well and challenge yourself to improve it.

3.     You've had some initial success. Discuss this with your supervisor at your next Performance Management reviews and let your manager know what you are doing.

4.     You've had repeated success. Discuss changes in your work area and processes since the last Performance Management review - and, as appropriate, with your co-workers. Discus how 5S practices may have helped you improve.

5.     You have continuously maintained the gain for a while - maybe a year, and you've written some good process and procedure documentation. Or, your conference room or common area has been maintained and improved, and people's suggestions have been added. 5S practices have become a part of your daily work habits and, in fact, it all seems so much like common sense that you hardly even think about '5S' anymore!

?How do you measure 5S success

You'll know that you're successful when you see that you've removed barriers, and your work is

flowing more smoothly.

Using 5S levels.

5S levels are simply a thermometer to check the health of your work area. The diagram below will help you figure out where you are on the 5S roadmap - but remember, it's more important to remove barriers, document your processes, and make life easier for yourself, than to know the exact place you are on the 5S roadmap.

If you improve your work area by barrier removal and process documentation, you'll automatically reach the Smiths Aerospace goals.

Then the 5S roadmap, a table of 5s by levels, will indicate to you what steps you could take next, and to others (such as your manager) something about what has been done to improve the efficiency of a work area.

?Who do I go to for help

If you have questions about 5S and how it applies to your work:

1.     First, check with your 5S Focal point.

2.     If you can't reach your focal point see your supervisor.

Remember that you may need to use tools other than 5S to make you or your group as efficient as you can be. Your supervisor or 5S focal point can help you determine the best method.