5S

In today´s post I would like to explore the so called 5S in logistics. 

The 5S is one of the most popular methodologies organizations adopted in present times to optimize productivity at the same time the company maintains their quality and safety standards.

But, what is exactly the 5S? It can be seen as an organization method which helps companies organize their workspace in order to achieve greater efficiency. This term uses 5 Japanese words: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke. Translated into English these words stand for sorting, straightening, shining, standardizing and sustaining.

The 5S concept originated in Japan conceived by Hiroyuki Hirano. Mr Hirano recommended a structured 5 steps approach to help western managers to successfully manage their available resources and cumply with safety and quality standards.

Breaking down the 5S we have:

-         Sorting: By eliminating all unnecessary parts, tools and every item that is no longer in use and are just lying around. The objective is to make the workplace tidier and more organized.

 

-      Straightening Out: Refers to the systematic storage of objects, in such a way that everybody can have access to them when needed.

-          Shining: Refers to keep the workplace and all equipments clean, eliminating all causes of disruption or failure.

-         Standardizing: It´s a key component that ensures processes followed by an organization are consistent. Therefore, all employees performing the same duties should not find any difficulty while working from any of the workstations or locations. Each employee must clearly know what exactly the role is and how the responsibilities should be discharged.

-      Sustaining: This is probably the most difficult step, and it refers to the process of maintaining and reviewing standards on a regular basis, ensuring that everything keeps on being implemented effectively. 

The 5S program was extended with the addition of 3 more “S”: Safety, Security and Satisfaction in order to maintain a holistic approach to the whole business taking into account safety issues occurring into the organization.

The 5S program provides long-term benefits to all kinds of organizations, improves productivity and boost efficiency at the same time it reduces casualties and accidents.

No wonder why some of the most important companies have established this program to optimize their business.