5S focus Newsletter Archive

We have changed our 5S focus quaterly newsletter to the 5S Supply blog.

Here's the place to look up the archived articles from our 5S focus Newsletter.

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In many Western publications I come across the virtues of the Toyota System and the intricacies and explanations of how the Toyota System works. One aspect that I run across many times is the use and explanation of Kanban. Recently, I have had the opportunity to spend some time with a wise author of Kanban Systems, Yoshiki Wakai, who really provides great insight into understanding how the Kanban tool forms a part of the Toyota Production System. He states in his recent book, Mistaken Kanbans: Why the Toyota System is Not Working for You, that most people have confused the terminology with the principle of Kanban; and in fact, have failed at having the ability to effectively implement something they do not justly understand. All too often I find this exact misalignment and this book is valuable because it provides greater clarity.

 

 

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Often times when people hear mention of the word Lean or 5S they immediately think of the auto industry or manufacturing.  What a surprise when they learn that these principles can and have been utilized in the healthcare industry.  Our organization began the Lean Journey close to 5 years ago and we began by implementing 5S in the Clinical Laboratory.

 

 

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When we do a 5S event, it is usually pretty easy to get the team to perform the first “S” Sort by performing the 5S Red Tag technique; you know “When in doubt, move it out!” This is accomplished by attaching red tags to items that are not needed in the area and then moving them to the 5S Red Tag Holding Area. But, how do we keep that spirit going after the event? Anyone who has been through a 5S event or has a company that has a 5S program can relate to what I am talking about. I want to talk about a very specific aspect when it comes to 5S Red Tagging: The 5S Red Tag.

 

 

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Many of us Lean Practitioners are trying to put our hands around this “Lean to Green” movement.  This movement has been initiated by Environmental, Health, and Safety (EH&S) professionals through a realization that the application of Lean on processes and indirect positive impact was occurring on environmental waste.  Now, they are focusing on how to make this effort more directed at specifically the environmental aspects of our processes.  However, Lean Practitioners and EH&S professionals are searching for an answer to the same question.  How do we create a direct focus on environmental, or Green, wastes and apply Lean principles to eliminate those wastes? 

 

The word “Shine” is often used as the third word in the 5S system. Unfortunately, too many people think shine only refers to cleaning. It means much more than that. Think “clean and inspect” or “inspect through cleaning.”

Myth: 5S is just cleaning
Many organizations think their people do not have to clean. They have housekeeping or a janitorial service for that. That’s not the way Shine works in a 5S Shine system. A typical cleaning service is not likely to take the time or effort to look at things closely enough to determine if they are in optimal condition. 

 

 

5-S is one of the foundational tools of Lean Manufacturing. It is also useful in the office, and even at home, to make work more productive. This newsletter’s article will describe the third “S”, “Shine.”

 

Shine: The next phase requires that all working surfaces, machines, and tools be thoroughly cleaned on the outside. Each work station should be cleaned thoroughly by the person who uses the station, using the tools and cleaners appropriate for the equipment at the station. It is intended that equipment be clean enough that dirt from elsewhere, oil leaks, or other contamination will be readily apparent if it should occur later.

 

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It seems like the set in order part of a 5 S should be easy, right? After all, you’ve got a nice clean canvas to work on, and you’ve already weeded out the junk. Last night, I gave this a try in the closet in my children’s bathroom. As you can see from the before picture, this closet was in need of some work. There are so many soaps stuffed on one of the shelves that I could not even see that I was out of something else that we regularly use. The tissue boxes perched on my laundry drying rack were courtesy of a request to my 6-year-old son Matthew, “Please put the tissues away.” I’ve been unable to find some towels recently because they were all thrown in haphazardly. Clearly, this was a 5s project waiting to happen.

 

Lately, with all the talk of Safety and 5S an idea was conceived by employees at Modern Drop Forge when they saw the confusion and trouble the gas tank delivery service had dropping off and picking up the gas tanks. In their original location, the gas tanks were being stored where equipment and lift trucks frequently blocked their access (see “before” picture).

 

 

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