Once you decide to use 5S strategies in your business, you must plan how to implement them. Proper implementation requires physical changes to the facility and employee training in order to operate as per the 5S methodology. While it takes time to implement 5S, the benefits are worth it. This article will help you learn more about 5S and how to implement them in your company.
Understanding 5S
5S is a workplace organizational strategy that works to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of a company. The name 5S stems from the main five focus areas that start with the letter S, including sort, shine, set in order, standardize, and sustain.
Sort involves getting rid of all obstacles that impact production. Eliminate unneeded items and straighten things, making sure that only the right people are performing the job.
Set in order is all about making sure things are located where they need to be to reduce time wasted by employees when looking for tools.
Shine includes having a clean workplace, tools, and machines to increase work efficiency.
Standardizing focuses on how work efficiency can be improved through standards.
Sustain involves making sure that the improvements implemented will remain effective in the long term.
Create the 5S Implementation Team.
Having a team to lead the effort is the first step when implementing 5S strategies. The team should consist of people from all levels of the company. Ensure the senior management, middle management, direct supervisors, and front-line employees are recruited into the team for the process to be successful. Keep everyone in the team in the loop on all decisions and listen to their input regardless of their level.
Set a Base Line
After gathering the team, establish a baseline on how things will be done to help you develop ideas where improvements are needed. Have your team spend time with workers to understand the real problems. Going to the floor helps you gather information prior to the implementation of 5S, thus implementing what is effective.
Implement Easy Fixes
Start by implementing easy fixes as you go upward. Begin with the opportunities that can be easily identified as it is easy to address them without using too many resources. Easy fixes lead to benefits such as improved momentum and waste elimination. Floor making is one example of a 5S project that involves improving safety and increasing efficiency at the workplace. Organization improvement is another popular 5s project that involves organizing the facility. Organizations are using foam shadow boards such as Red Box Foam to organize tools and make sure employees can easily access them.
Plan for Ongoing Improvements
After completing the initial projects, start planning what to do next. You should have a list of projects that need to be implemented in the process of 5S. After all, people have understood the 5S and the types of waste to watch out for and guide employees where they can submit recommendations. This will help you gain insights about the next projects.
In conclusion, implementing the 5S strategies is incredibly beneficial to any business regardless of what it deals with. It streamlines a company by enhancing safety, efficiency, and productivity. It also makes a company more organized, tidy, and attractive, thus strengthening the brand name. Before implementing 5S, create a strong team with people from all organizational levels. Gather extensive information to help you implement the right projects. Continue planning about the projects to implement in the future to attain the success of 5S.