5S STRATEGY

What Does 5S Stand For?

The Japanese 5S visual management system is made up of five specific steps:

• Japanese original: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke.

• English translation: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise, and Sustain.

Seiri

Sort

Sort through the resources and only keep what is absolutely necessary to complete the project in question. This procedure entails going over every item in a workstation to decide which should be kept and which can be thrown out. The work space should be cleared of anything that is not essential for completing the project.

Seiton

Set in Order

Organisation is key. Each tool, material and machine has it’s designated place of storage. Logical, clear and labelled placement of resources allows for everyone working on the project to perform more efficiently due to the ease of locating necessary items, as well as making everything accessible for reach comfortably and safely.

Seiso

Shine

Keep the workplace clean and in order. This includes duties such as dusting, hoovering, mopping, correct and frequent waste disposal, carrying out routine maintenance of machinery and equipment , or wiping and sweeping the work station.

Seiketsu

Standardise

All our workers, whether brand new to our organisation or ones who are permanent employees, adhere to rules and standards such as health and safety, schedules and timetables, and checklists. This means everyone works at the same standard, can easily process tasks for completion, as well as ask for help or oversight when needed.

Shitsuke

Sustain

For the 5S system to work, we must continue practicing each step. Maintance of the 5S system allows for a clear structure within our whole organisation, as well as every small or large task. We encourage all our employees to adhere to the highest standards of their work, and help them in doing so via training, communication, and feedback after each completed task.