5S Store – Arrange For Ease of Use

The second step of 5S is “store” (or set in order), which derives from the Japanese term Seiton. It means organization. 

Here comes the second 5S principle: “A home for everything and everything in its home.” This phase focuses on placing the items deemed essential back into the workstation or area in a specific, well-organized manner. The objective is to find the most efficient homes for the tools and objects within a space to do your job better. All necessary items must have a home to be found and ready when needed.

Every time team members have to search for a tool to complete their jobs, time is wasted, and the business loses money.

Imagine the importance of well-organized tools in emergency rooms. Doctors need to have their most frequently needed tools and equipment on hand and easily accessible to help save their patients’ lives. Logical organization paired with knowledge of where tools and supplies are could make the difference between life and death.

Organize all tools, equipment, files, data, material, and resources for quick, accessible location and use. Identify everything based on:

• Safety: they will not fall or hurt anyone
• Quality: they will not mix up
• Efficiency: time will not be lost searching for things

The three microsteps to implement store are:

1. Prioritize what you need
2. Define a home for ease of use
3. Store back immediately after use

For more information, you can read the Sort chapter in the book 5S Your life, or go to  www.Theweculture.com to download our App to access free content and videos.