Japan is a country known for innovations in almost every field including electronics, telecommunication, engineering, automotive, etc. The basic fundamental of all the successful Japanese companies such as Toyota, Honda, and Sony, etc. is “Remove Non-Value added activities” from the operations. There are many Japanese techniques such as 5S, Kaizen, TPM, Poka-yoke, Lean Management, Six Sigma and many more.
All these techniques emphasize a detailed study of the operations and development of value stream in such a way that every smallest activity performed at the floor has to be “Value-adding” and also the “Method” should be the most productive & most efficient method to perform the activity. 5S is a technique that is recognized and accepted as an effective technique for operational excellence. In this session, we are going to mention the important tips for the effective implementation of 5S Technique in the workplace.
Make every member understand the objective of 5S implementation.
Many companies implement 5S just as a requirement insisted by their customer or sometimes even as a “Status Symbol”. In both cases, the objective of 5S implementation is defeated as every member of the company is not aware of the fundamentals, methodology & the objective as well.
In such cases, 5S implementation is done in a superficial manner which doesn’t help companies to achieve the real desired results in operational excellence. It is very important to communicate the objective & roadmap of 5S implementation to each & every member of the company. This communication can be done either through numerous repetitive pieces of training and effective visual management on the floor.
The main objectives of 5S implementation are increased productivity, waste reduction, and safety, also implementing 5s in the workplace intends to make the workplace clean and comfortable for workers that in turn improve their commitment towards their work.
5S shall be considered as a way of professional life rather than just a technique.
Adequate efforts must be taken to make every member of the organization consider 5S implementation as a theory of profession rather than just an additional project that the top management has forced on them. The change in the mindset of every member is necessary to ensure 5S implementation with real spirit and with ultimate effectiveness.
The change in mindset is possible by means of displaying the simple, appealing and effective 5S posters, displays and instructions at the facility to promote the importance of 5S strategy. All the employees must understand that 5S is a lot more than just cleaning, implementing 5s in an office environment has plenty of more benefits than just a clean workplace, it improves the work culture and work environment, makes the work processes lean and much more.
Every member should have a detailed knowledge of each ‘S’ in 5S implementation
Each “S” in 5s stands for (Seiri) Sort, (Seiton) Set in Order, (Seiso) Shine, (Seiketsu) Standardize, (Shitsuke) Sustain. Not only the process but also the order or alignment disciplines of these processes play a vital role in the betterment of the work activities.
Many members do not understand the real desired meaning of individual ‘S’ in the 5S technique. In most of the cases, it is observed that each S is considered as “a method of good house-keeping” rather than understanding the science and theory behind it. In such cases, 5S implementation is done in a superficial manner without producing the expected results.
All the process owners and managers must make an effort to make their workers understand the importance, objectives, and benefits of 5s implementation at the workplace as it will not only make the work activities more productive but also be beneficial for the workers to work in a user-friendly and enhanced work environment.
Be selective while choosing the 5S tool and implementation methods
One should be very careful while designing the implementation roadmap for the company. One has to understand that the roadmap & details of the implementation activities can’t be exactly the same as the roadmap which was developed for any other company. It has to be exclusive, and tailor-made, based on the nature of organizational operations, educational level of the team members, existing culture at the company, etc.
All such parameters shall be taken into consideration while designing the roadmap for 5S implementation at a specific organization. This may offer input to the implementation project duration, speed of activities and extent of the documentation as well. Every organization has a different 5s implementation plan depending upon various factors, also 5s implementation strategies change according to the process of the company.
It is not necessary that 5s implementation is only applicable to the manufacturing units, It can be used at warehouses, commercial offices and in fact, 5s is also proved to be useful in household applications.
Create Effective Visual Management on the floor
The 5S technique is considered as “a cultural change” rather than just a project with a timeline. It requires a “Change in mindset” at all levels of the organization. It is noted that “Human mind understands & accepts things faster if those are communicated by means of Visual displays”.
The effectiveness of 5S implementation can be improved by communicating meaningful information through the display of posters, signs, identification boards, performance monitoring boards at the facility. Many companies have experienced extraordinary results after displaying the correct & appropriate displays at the facility.
Visualmitra LLP is a company having expertise in the implementation of Effective Visual Management at the Facility. Their end to end services is highly appreciated across industries & other commercial facilities.