5S manufacturing is a lean practice that aims to improve workplace safety, productivity, and product quality. The five steps, starting with “S,” are seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. The steps involve sorting, arranging, cleaning, standardizing, and sustaining the workplace. The practice is used globally in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing organizations.
5S manufacturing is a lean manufacturing practice geared towards bringing order and improving workplace safety and increasing productivity. It is a cleaning discipline conceptualized by Japanese companies to achieve manufacturing excellence and increase product quality. This practice can lead to the elimination of waste and defective products, thus reducing production costs. 5S is practiced globally in both manufacturing and non-manufacturing organizations.
The manufacturing concept was named 5S because five Japanese action words starting with the letter “S” spell out the steps in the 5S manufacturing discipline. The five passages have been translated into English verbs and sentences that also begin with the letter “S”. The sequence of steps in 5S is seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Seiri means to order. The materials needed in the production process are separated from the unnecessary materials, which are then disposed of. A red label is used to label the materials to be disposed of for easy identification. Segregation of materials is usually done by segment or section of the production plan for greater efficiency in sorting.
Seiton is the second step in 5S production. It means putting things right. Tools and materials are neatly arranged and placed in their correct position following the production sequence. Manufacturing organizations commonly use shadow boards where the shape of each tool is painted on a board to guide workers in returning tools to their proper places. The tools are also located at the point on the production line where they will be used.
Seiso or shine comes next in the 5S manufacturing discipline. Workers must always leave their respective workplaces clean. A clean workplace is believed to boost worker productivity.
The fourth step in 5S production is seiketsu. It means standardizing the practice of 5S manufacturing in order to make the implementation uniform and routine. A common practice to standardize the implementation of 5S is to have a checklist. The tasks to sort, fix, and shine are listed in the first column of the checklist, and the person responsible for each task is listed in the second column. The third column reflects the frequency of the activity, while the fourth column indicates the completion of an activity with a check mark.
The final step in 5S production is shitsuke, which means to sustain. While seiketsu facilitates the implementation of shitsuke, efforts must also be made to promote 5S discipline in manufacturing by motivating everyone in the plant to practice it. Some producers organize a competition between the different sections of the establishment; the section with the best implementation of the 5S is awarded with a prize token and a recognition plaque.
An audit of 5S implementation is also a good tool to sustain discipline. Audit team members should come from different sections of the manufacturing plant and should be changed from time to time to avoid bias. The audit results should not be used to sanction those who are unable to follow the 5S guideline. Instead, it should be used as a basis in formulating programs to encourage voluntary participation. It is believed that a worker forms a habit more easily when they choose to do so voluntarily.
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