Sort (decide what you need)

Sort out necessary v’s unnecessary items. The team should decide what we need and how much of it do we need? Store often-used items at the work area, infrequently used items away from same, and dispose of items that are not needed. Removing unneeded items from the area like excess inventory, rarely used tools, and fixtures will gain space, improve safety, and make it easier to visualise the process.

Straighten (arrangement of the items you need)

Now that we know what we want in the area, we must arrange the items so that there is a place for everything. Use shadow boards, inventory footprints, trollies, etc. Make it visible so that if an item is not in its place and not in use, a problem is indicated. Locate items by frequency to minimise stretching and bending. Review the inputs and outputs from the process whenever products or parts change to ensure the layout supports optimum flow.

Shine (general cleanliness)

It is critical that the area be maintained in a clean, orderly fashion for better flow and productivity. A clean and tidy workplace is indicative of a quality process and product as it helps identify abnormal conditions and root causes. Dirt and grime are potential health/safety hazards. When we shine, we are checking the condition of machines, tools, and everything we depend upon to do the job to ensure they are in optimal condition. We revisit the maintenance and condition of all these resources and make sure they perform as designed and do so safely.

Standardise (personalised approach)

Now that we have accomplished the first 3 elements of 5S, we need to lock in the gains. We have eliminated the excess things, cleaned, and improved the area, and organised it for optimum flow. Now let us make sure it stays that way. Step 4, Standardise, introduces controls we must follow to keep organised. We use labelling and visual controls like signs and colour coding to make it easier to know where things are, and where they go when we are finished using them. Techniques like Shadow Boards and other Point-of-use-storage further facilitate easier put-away systems so others can take advantage of quickly locating needed tools. Additional visual controls can also manage actual work and inventory flow, as well as adding visibility to performance and any problems that are occurring. The benefits of Visual Factory are that in real-time we get immediate feedback on conditions that need attention.

Sustain (discipline, culture)

This is arguably the most difficult step in the 5S process; continuing what you started. Not sustaining 5S is a waste, and the programme requires increasing effort to re-energise. 5S audits are great for sustaining the gains and delivering the vision of a world-class workplace that will enhance safety and performance. To sustain the gains, we make it a habit of properly maintaining correct procedures to avoid backsliding. It is important to ensure that they are done each day to prevent slipping into old habits. By committing to performing these steps every shift, we make sure that any changes to our product or process are compensated for at our workstation and problems are alleviated as quickly as they are created.