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How Does Lean Manufacturing 5S Help?

One of the basic initiatives for any business looking to go lean will be 5S. This is the process of organizing and cleaning specific sections or work cells of a business to ensure the operate more efficiently. Let's look at exactly what the term lean manufacturing 5S consists of.

5S originated in Japan, and all of the words started with an S. Luckily, these words also translate to words that also start with an S. Let's look at what all of the 5S terms mean.

Some people really like this first step. It is your chance to get a trash can and load it up. All of the things not needed for the job are removed and only the essentials are kept.

Set is the next step. This means you will need to find a place for all of the tools needed for the job. Some examples of ways to accomplish this are through the use of a peg board or by using tape to outline where items should be. This ensures you have a place for them and people can notice when they are not there.

Now, you have the essential tools and a place for them, let's keep this area clean. This is where the Shine portion happens. And to ensure it happens all the time, elect a person to be in charge of the cleanliness of the area.

Now that the area is organized and cleaned, you need to standardize. One of the ways to do this is by having periodic review of the area. Another potential pitfall is not having new procedures. you most likely changed some stuff, so new procedures and new processes will need to be established. This helps to ensure the area operates at a set standard.

Trying to sustain this initiative will take the efforts of all parties involved. Whether you are management, or the employees, you all have a stake and an important role in ensuring this initiative is sustained. This is why this section is called Sustain.

5S is a lean manufacturing tool. It can be uses anywhere in a plant or business to help organize and clean an area. Plus, now th employees will have the necessary tools for the job, and know what is expected of them. This is how lean manufacturing 5S can help.

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