The 5S Methodology
Implementing the 5S methodology is the first step towards workplace efficiency.
We will help you implement the 5S methodology through hands-on training onsite, on-demand and online live courses, individual and executive coaching.
5S Your Life
You can also learn more by reading our recently published book 5S Your Life.
The 5s is a methodology to achieve workplace efficiency and employee engagement through 5 steps that start with the letter S: sort, store, shine, standardize and self-organize. More than a method, it implies a true cultural change when implemented as a way of working.
5S is one of the first tools recommended to be applied to a company that is starting to get into the continuous improvement culture. It helps to define the first rules to eliminate waste and maintain a work environment that is efficient, safe and clean. It was first popularized by Taiichi Ohno, who designed the Toyota Production System and Shigeo Shingo, who also put forward the concept of poka-yoke.
The good news is that 5S easy for everyone to start using it, as it doesn’t require technical analysis, and can be implemented in all sorts of companies, from manufacturing plants to offices, from small to multinational business, from private to public sectors, all around the globe. It’s so simple, practical, and visual that well implemented it can engage the operators as well as the directors, and surprise the customers as well. It’s the perfect tool to identify the first improvement projects in your company in order to eliminate waste. It may be seen just as a housekeeping technique, but actually, it is an innovative management system that helps people to start thinking leanwise. On top of it, 5S is also applied to keep workplaces safe at all times (free of falling objects or potential hazards) and maintain it through time. The objective is to reduce costs, identify defects quickly and encourage self-organization.
Check how different industries are applying the 5S methodology:
5S 1-DAY WORKSHOP
Content
Throughout the course you will learn:
- What is the 5S methodology
- Workplace Efficiency and the 8 wastes
- The 5S, step by step
- The importance of self-organization
- How to implement the 5S at work
- Workshops: The training includes 3 workshops to learn how to use 5S templates to apply at work.
Who is the target audience?
- Managers
- Company owners
- Front-line employees: operations, customer service, retail, manufacturing, hospitality
Course Length:
6-hours course
Methods:
We offer different options to the attend the course to fit your specifc needs, in case you want to accommodate the course to your own schedule, or your night shifts are not able to attend to the currently available courses:
- On-line Live
Register for one of our online live courses for only $300 for each attendee to be able to ask questions to the 5S experts live. The live course is a 6-hour course delivered through Zoom. You will learn about the basics of the 5S methodology, the tips and tricks for the 5S implementation and you will receive access to templates, pictures and guidelines to help you implement 5S right back at work.
- On-Demand
Register on-line to attend our on-demand course through our We Culture App. 8 hours of videos with hands-on activities, pictures with real examples and templates to implement 5S. The cost is $99 per employee. Contact us for group discounts.
Download the app or pay online
- In-company or on-line Live for your employees only
- Full 5S Implementation
Scedule a free 30-min appointment for a customized schedule for your company and to develop an implementation plan.
5S Full Implementation
After the 1-day workshop, Biztorming® consultants can also help you implement the 5S methodology on the job. We have noticed that a 1-day course is not enough to change the company culture to include 5S in every day activities. That’s why we offer a full implementation strategy to help organizations understand the 5S concepts, incorporate them as part of the company culture and drive the way they work the 5S way.
We deliver hands-on workshops to help your team implement the tools and apply the new habits in their daily routines. We also deliver special courses for 5S leaders and executives.
The full implementation includes:
- 5S Introduction for front-line workers
- 5S introduction for leaders
- 5S committee meetings
- Hands-on implementation courses on-site
- 5S Audits
- Coaching
- Train the trainer
- Site communication strategy
- 5S courses for new hires, contractors, suppliers and customers
- M3 change management plan with 12 steps to ensure a sustained implementation over time.
Contact us to learn more.
Change Management M3
How is your business doing today?
Let’s do a test first. If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you may find 5S really useful:
- Are there loose hanging electrical wires in the workplace?
- Are there files, drawers and cabinets in the workplace that are unlabeled or their content is hard to identify?
- Do you observe valuable space being occupied by useless items?
- Are there papers in your workplace that are not used and are gathering dust?
- Does everybody know how to maintain the workplace organized and what are their responsibilities, even when the boss is not looking?
- Do people in your workplace struggle to locate documents or files, both in physical and digital format?
What does the 5S stand for?
5s is based on five Japanese terms all starting with s (the English version also start with S), that represent steps towards the final aim, which is to sustain workplace efficiency:
- Sort: Separate needed tools, materials, and instructions from those not needed. Remove everything that is not needed in the work area. Prepare an inventory sheet so that you know exactly what do you need to work. Also, get ready to review if you probably have too much of some things, or you need to have more to avoid any business disruptions.
- Store: Sort and organize all the needed material: tools, equipment, files, data, material, and any other resources. Sort them in a way that is for quick, easy location and use. Label all locations and tools and equipment. Use pictures to showcase how the workplace or the drawer should look like. Usually, a good storing method means that you can find all your goods in less than thirty seconds. So all goods need to have a defined place to be located, but also goods need to be at that place at the tame you are looking for them. If you use them, you return them.
- Shine: Set a new level of cleanliness. Clean and remove all trash, grease and dirt. Everything must be clean, tidy and neatly put in its place. Cleanliness provides a safe work area and makes potential problems visible, e.g. equipment leaks, loose parts, missing guards, loose paperwork, materials. Shine means not only clean, but it also means that everything has to look as if it was brand new: floors, ceiling, furniture, tools, walls, documentation. Even workers have to look clean and neat to provide the best image for our clients. And do not forget about the elements to be able to clean: appropriate cleaning materials should be available in the workplace. It is always a good thing to remind the employees that I always have to keep things as is, so if I create a mess, I clean it, I don’t wait until the cleaning staff comes around otherwise it will get even messier. Basically, we don’t clean up for visitors, we always keep it clean for ourselves.
- Standardize: Engage the workforce to systematically do 1, 2 & 3 above daily, to maintain the workplace in perfect condition as a standard process. Establish schedules, audits and procedures. Visual management helps to standardize without using written procedures: you can use colors, pictures and images to show work in process, re-fill needs, cross-walks or even to display safety instructions.
- Self-organize: make 5s part of your culture. Build organizational commitment so that 5S becomes an organizational “value” or expectation so everyone develops 5 S as a habit. Integrate it into your performance management system, prepare training sessions for new hires and suppliers and share and celebrate audit results.
