5S can be a powerful tool to help you identify when something is out of place. The idea is to maintain order by having a place for everything and for everything to have a place. Knowing when something is out of order will help you to quickly identify and address problems. This tool is also useful because it implements preventative maintenance by utilizing check sheets and encourages all employees who are affected by a process to have a say in changing and maintaining that process.
5S is as follows:
- Sort (Seiri)
- Set in Order (Seiton)
- Shine (Seiso)
- Standardize (Seiketsu)
- Sustain (Shitsuke)
Sort: Go through the work place and red tag everything that is not being used.
Set in Order: Put everything in a logical order and place. Keep things ergonomically correct.
Shine: Things must be clean and ready for white glove inspection.
Standardize: Document a process and keep check lists to maintain order.
Sustain: Perform audits and involve workers in continuous improvement to controle this cycle.