By Pradeep Mahalik

While some Lean Six Sigma practitioners consider 5S a tool, it is more than that. 5S, abbreviated from the Japanese words Seiri, Seito, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke, is not just a methodology, it is a culture that has to be built in to any organization which aims for spontaneous and continuous improvement of working environment and working conditions. It involves everyone in the organization from the top level to bottom. The Japanese developed this simple and easily understandable words religiously practiced the philosophy of 5S at every aspect of their life and have made it a world wide recognizable system.

Too often in Lean Six Sigma the 5S philosophy is confined to one classroom training session or, at best, used as a one-time implementation methodology that then dies its own death due to negligence. 5S is not a list of action items that has to be reviewed at some interval of time. Instead, it has to be practiced as a daily activity, which requires concentration, dedication and devotion for sustaining it and ultimately making it a company-wide culture.

A proper and step-by-step process has to be followed to make 5S a practice and a success.

Plan-Do-Check-and-Act Approach to 5S

The Plan-Do-Check-and-Act (PDCA), or “Deming cycle,” of implementing 5S is very effective. This is a never-ending process and has to follow a process approach.

Step 1: Seiri, or Sort

Seiri is sorting through the contents of the workplace and removing unnecessary items. This is an action to identify and eliminate all unnecessary items from the workplace. Actions items:

1. Look around the workplace along with colleagues to discover and identify items which are not needed and not necessary to complete work.
2. Develop criteria for disposal for not-needed items.
3. Take “before” photographs wherever it is required.
4. An effective method for recording progress is to tag the items not needed. This visual control of the not-needed items is often called red tagging.
5. While red tagging, ask these questions:

• Is this item needed?
• If it is needed, is it needed in this quantity?
• If it is needed, how frequently is it used?
• If it is needed, should it be located here?
• Who is ultimately responsible for the item? (Verify from that person.)
• Are there any other not-needed items cluttering the workplace?
• Are there tools or material left on the floor?

6. Find a holding area to put red tagged items.
7. If it is difficult to decide whether an item is necessary or not, put a different tag and segregate it in the holding area.
8. Classify the items by frequency of use.
9. Items or equipment used hour by hour or day by day should be kept within arms reach of the point of use.
10. Items or equipment used once a week or once a month should be kept within the work area.
11. Items or equipment used less frequently should be stored in a more distant location.
12. Unneeded or unnecessary items should be stored in the holding area.
13. Individual departments should each have a holding area.
14. A holding area should be clearly visible and clearly marked to assure visual control of items.
15. Display pictures of items and place it on a public board visible to all.
16. Responsibility for the holding area should be assigned to some at the beginning of sorting activity.
17. The items in holding area should be kept for three or four months. If the items are not needed for work, then the items can be disposed. It is always necessary to verify plans to dispose of items with anyone who had been using these items in the past or are presently using the same or similar type of items.
18. Items should be moved to a company-level holding area before final disposal of the items.
19. The facility manager or an authorized person has to evaluate the items.
20. Disposal should be done in either of the following ways.

• Move to other department/section where the items are required.
• Sell to someone outside the company.
• Discard and haul away.

21. Dispose all items which are broken or have no value.
22. Take “after” photographs wherever it is required.

Step 2: Seiton, or Systematize

Seiton is putting the necessary items in their place and providing easy access. This is an action to put every necessary item in good order, and focuses on efficient and effective storage methods. Action items:

1. Make sure that all unnecessary items are eliminated from the workplace.
2. Taking into account of the work flow, decide which things to put where.
3. Take “before” photographs wherever necessary.
4. Also decide with colleagues about which things to put where from the point of view of efficient operations.
5. This should be done as per the frequency of use of items. More frequently used items should be kept near the workplace (see Nos. 9, 10 and 11 under Seiri).
6. Workers should answer these questions:

• What do I need to do my job?
• Where should I locate this item?
• How many of this item do I really need?

7. Make a plan based on the principles and locate things accordingly.
8. Use 5Whys to decide where each item belongs.
9. Locate needed items so they can be retrieved in 30 to 60 seconds with minimum steps.
10. Make sure to inform everybody at the workplace about positioning of the items.
11. Make a clear list of items with their locations and put it on lockers or cabinets.
12. Label each locker/drawer/cupboard to show what is kept inside.
13. Outline locations of equipment, supplies, common areas and safety zones with lines:

• Divider lines define aisle ways and work stations.
• Marker lines show position of equipment.
• Range lines indicate range of operation of doors or equipment.
• Limit lines show height limits related to items stored in the workplace.
• Tiger marks draw attention to safety hazards.
• Arrows show direction.

14. Identify all needed items with labels.
15. Take “after” photographs.
16. Complete evaluation using 5S levels of implementation with the facility manager or the authorized person in the organization.

Step 3: Seiso, or Sweep

Seiso involves cleaning everything, keeping it clean daily, and using cleaning to inspect the workplace and equipment for defects. This is an action to clean the workplace daily. Actions items:

1. Take “before” photographs.
2. Adopt cleaning as a daily activity and as a part of inspection. Clean the workplace before starting of the job and before closing the job.
3. Put aside 10 or 15 minutes for the same activity per day.
4. Cleaning indirectly helps to check or inspect each and every part and place. Hence, it should be a habit.
5. Find ways to prevent dirt and contamination.
6. Clean both inside and outside on daily basis.
7. Identify and tag every item that causes contamination.
8. Use 5Whys or cause-and-effect methods to find the root causes of such contamination and take appropriate corrective and preventive action.
9. Keep a log of all places/areas to be improved. Table 1 shows a format for a log for cleaning improvements.

10. 5S “owner” check-sheets should be maintained on daily basis. An example of a check sheet is illustrated in Table 2. (The word owner here is used as a replacement for the title of operator. An operator merely operates the machine or process, and might think cleaning is below them. An owner cares for the machine and area in which he or she works.)

11. Develop a plan, activity chart and distribute responsibility.
12. Take “after” photographs.
13. In addition to 10 to 15 minutes for Seiso everyday, owners should have a weekly 5S time, or monthly 5S day.
14. Complete evaluation using 5S levels of implementation with the facility manager or the authorized persons in the organization.

Step 4: Seiketsu, or Standardize

Seiketsu involves creating visual controls and guidelines for keeping the workplace organized, orderly and clean. This is a condition where a high standard of good housekeeping is maintained. The first three steps, or S’s, are often executed by order. Seiketsu helps to turn it into natural, standard behavior. Actions items:

1. Take “before” photographs.
2. Check that the first three S’s are implemented properly.
3. All team activity documents/check lists should be publicly displayed on a 5S board.
4. Establish the routines and standard practices for regularly and systematically repeating the first three S’s.
5. Create procedures and forms for regularly evaluating the status of the first three S’s.
6. Standardize red tag procedures and holding area rules (see Seiri).
7. Standardize procedures for creating shadow boards, position lines, and labeling of all items
(see Seiton).
8. Standardize cleaning schedules using the “5S Owner Check Sheets” (see Seiso).
9. Standardize “single-point lessons” for documenting and communicating 5S procedures and improvements in workplace and equipment.
10. Create a maintenance system for housekeeping. Make a schedule for cleaning of the workplace. A common approach is to ask a cross-functional team to do it.
11. Inter-departmental competition is an effective means of sustaining and enhancing interest in 5S.
12. Assign responsibility to individuals for a work area and machinery.
13. Regular inspection/audit and evaluation by a special team (including senior management persons) to be continued.
14. Instead of criticizing poor cases, praise and commend good practices or good performers.
15. Take “after” photographs and post them on the 5S board(s).
16. Complete evaluation using 5S levels of implementation with the facility manager or the authorized persons in the organization.

Step 5: Shitsuke, or Self-Discipline

Shitsuke involves training and discipline to ensure that everyone follows the 5S standards. This is a condition where all members practice the first four S’s spontaneously and willingly as a way of life. Accordingly, it becomes the culture in the organization. Actions items:

1. Everyone in the workplace should treat it they would their own home.
2. Periodic facility management involvement is required to check that the first four S’s are implemented perfectly.
3. Employees must make it a part of their daily work and not an action forced upon them.
4. Dedication, commitment, devotion and sincerity are needed in implementation of 5S on daily basis.
5. Senior management should initiate a celebration for the total 5S implementation, and be an active part in the total process in initiating and carrying forward the program.
6. Senior management should do a periodic review of the status of 5S.
7. Inspections of first three S’s should be done and the results displayed on 5S board regularly.
8. Single point lessons should be used to communicate the standards for how 5S work should be done.
9. Root cause problem-solving process should be in place where root causes are eliminated and improvement actions include prevention.
10. Owners conduct 5S Kaizen activities and document results. Owners (operators) complete daily check sheets to control factors that accelerate deterioration of equipment, and to keep clean workplaces that help build pride.

When fully implemented, the 5S process increases morale, creates positive impressions on customers, and increase efficiency and organization. Not only will employees feel better about where they work, the effect on continuous improvement can lead to less waste, better quality and faster lead times. 5S is not only a system for housekeeping, it is an integrated approach for productivity improvement. 5S is a whole a culture which increases production, improves quality, reduces cost, makes delivery on time, improves safety and improves morale. 5S also is not a list of action items, but is an integrated concept of actions, condition and culture. To get the greatest success, the nature and implication of each “S” need to be understood by each employee and should be regularly practiced.

About the Author: Pradeep Mahalik is a Six Sigma Black Belt with more than 10 years of experience in quality assurance and reliability engineering. He has a master’s degree in quality and reliability engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology at Kharagpur, India, and an MBA in operations management. Mr. Mahalik is based at Pune, India. He can be reached at pradeep.mahalik@gmail.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

By Joy E. Taylor

Kaizen events – concentrated meetings that are designed to bring about rapid change – are often misunderstood by those who have not completed one. From the outside, the events may simply seem like advanced all-day meetings with fanfare. What many organizations do not fully appreciate is the investment required to pull off such an orchestrated affair.

Organizations considering conducting kaizen events must be ready to make a significant commitment to change management by properly preparing attendees for the expectations of the event, executing the event smoothly and implementing solutions developed during the event in a timely and effective manner.

Defining Kaizen

A true kaizen is a coordinated, two- to three-day event attended by process owners, sponsors and subject-matter experts of a particular process with the purpose of making immediate improvements to that process. These events are about gathering together key decision makers, as well as those familiar with the process, to discuss the challenge, determine the solution and coordinate the plan to fix the problem.

The kaizen strategy aims to involve the team, use analytical tools to identify opportunities and design improvement efforts quickly to eliminate waste. The team works to implement chosen improvements rapidly (often within 72 hours of initiating the kaizen event), typically focusing on solutions that do not involve large capital outlays.

A kaizen session is not a backyard barbeque, it is a debutante ball – the social event of the season. A date must be selected when all key players can confirm their attendance, which may require three to six months of advanced planning. The day of the event must be clearly coordinated, with a formal agenda, including breaks and food delivery, along with the deliverables and expectations of the event written within view of all attendees (likely in very large font). This may take months of planning and organizational preparation. It will also require an executive sponsor to commit to the event – that alone may be an Olympic event.

Why the dramatic explanation? Because if an organization is going to introduce kaizen practices into its culture, it must be willing to commit to the necessary preparation. Organizations need to plan these events with the intent of implementing immediate improvements that will yield measureable results.

Planning and Preparing

As with most important events, the planning portion of a kaizen takes the most time, with countless elements to consider. The following is a partial checklist of things organizations will need to do in order to set up a kaizen event:

• Book the location.
• Invite attendees and confirm their attendance.
• Create an agenda (do not forget to allow for short bathroom and eating breaks).
• Establish when the sponsor will appear throughout the day for decision-making purposes or opportunities.
• Determine what data will need to be available in order to make decisions (process maps, files and so on).
• Set up a data center for use during the session, including a laptop, printer and paper. Computers used during the session should not have access to email.
• Prepare the facility with Post-It notes, colored dots, white boards, flip charts, markers, pens, paper, printing supplies, an overhead projector and back-up bulbs.
• Determine the role of each attendee.
• Determine what must be accomplished each day.
• Determine ground rules for the session.
• Determine how decisions will be made (seniority, consensus, majority vote or some other method).

In addition, there are a few critical steps in the planning and preparation phase that must not be skipped:

• Select the topic of the event: Build a strong relationship with the sponsor and clearly capture their goals and expectations.
• Define the goal: Include the Champion and the sponsor in pre-event discussions to outline the goals and expectations. Review a detailed agenda for the event.
• Organize the event: Meet with the team to finalize the goals, select participants, select the appropriate day and meeting location, and prepare.
• Collect data: Assign pre-work, generate process maps, and assemble all necessary documents and data prior to the day of the event.
• Brief key participants: Review the goals, expectations, dress code, dining options, roles and deliverables prior to the event.

Finally, in the planning and preparation phase, organizations must not forget about the significance of selecting the appropriate team to attend the kaizen and gather data prior to the day of the event. Remember: Kaizen events are designed to generate solutions. That means decisions must be made. Therefore, those in attendance must have the power to make decisions and have the data and facts associated with those decisions.

Execute the Session

As any great project manager knows, great meetings do not happen by themselves. When the day arrives and attendees show up for a prompt kaizen start, it must be clear what will and will not happen over the course of the two- to three-day period. This is not the time or the place for being vague or chatty. Cut to the chase – post the rules, commitment statement, expectations and goal of the event so everyone can see them, and start the event by reviewing verbally these areas. The event should end with action plans in place, marching orders ready for each participant and a rollout schedule determined for making improvements happen immediately.

Executing the session also means running a well-oiled machine and planning for every foreseeable contingency. Performing an FMEA in the planning stages never hurts. Regardless of what improvements are made, the list below represents the most basic actions the team should complete during the session:

• Finalize a communication plan
• Design a training plan
• Finalize an action plan with responsibility assignments
• Finalize a marketing/image plan
• Determine what’s in/what’s out (part of an overall scope plan or multi-generational project plan)
• Finalize the implementation plan (the who, what, where, when and how)

The following is a sample kaizen event agenda:

Day 1

8:00 – 8:30:  Breakfast, introductions and general announcements

8:30 – 9:00:  Kick-off with sponsor

9:00 – Noon:  Start meeting

• Define process start and stop point
• Define the customer and value for the customer
• Set the goals, expectations and metrics as defined by the customer

Noon – 1:30:  Walk the process with all participants

1:30 – 4:00:  Build a current state map (working lunch)

• Map the value stream (activities, departments, systems)
• Add times (process times, wait times)
• Identify seven types of waste
• Identify value-added and non-value-added activities

4:00 – 4:45:  Report out with all relevant decision makers

Day 2

8:00 – 8:30:  Breakfast and general announcements

8:30 – 9:00:  Instructions from sponsor

9:00 – Noon:  Map future state

• Collect radical improvement ideas
• Collect short-term improvement ideas
• Map long-term future state (six months from now)
• Map short-term future state (two weeks from now)

Noon – 12:30:  Lunch

12:30 – 4:00:  Define action plan (the process owners should take over the main tasks, not the facilitator)

4:00 – 4:45:  Report out with all relevant decision makers

4:45 – 5:00:  Final statements from sponsor

Implementing Results

The day after a kaizen event has ended, the team should be prepared to make change happen and implement new process improvements. Kaizen is about making continuous process improvement, so organizations should not expect to solve world hunger in these short but intense sessions. The goal at the end of each kaizen is to implement improvements that are within the team’s control, that are impactful to those in the process and that help to empower the team to take the next steps on the continuous improvement spectrum. The team should incorporate some kind of follow-up activity to ensure that improvements are sustained and not simply temporary.

About the Author: Joy Taylor is a Master Black Belt and the president of Taygan Consulting Inc. She has worked with clients such as NRG Energy Inc., Merck & Co. and Avid Technologies Inc. Taylor started her career at GE Americom Comunications, a GE Capital Business. She is based in Yardley, Pa., USA