Manufacturers
Lean - The 5S System
Accelerate Product & Service Flow. Achieve and Sustain Clean, Safe and Organized Workplaces
What is the 5S System?
The 5S System is a series of activities designed to improve workplace organization and standardization. These five activities, all of which begin with the letter S, include:
- Sort through all items and remove unneeded items
- Set in order remaining items, set limits, create temporary location indicators
- Shine or clean everything and use cleaning as inspection
- Standardize the first three S's by implementing visual displays and controls
- Sustain the gains through self-discipline, training, communication and total employee involvement
Benefits
- Improve quality
- Achieve work standardization
- Decrease changeover time
- Improve safety
- Reduce storage costs
- Reduce cycle time
- Reduce machine down time
- Boost employee morale as well as work environment
Successes
Through the implementation of visual controls to improve workplace organization, a metal fabrication company was able to increase inventory turns 67%, reduce inventory by 35% and increase on-time shipping to 99%.
A truck cover manufacturer standardized its housekeeping efforts, inventory control methods and business practices. This resulted in a 50% reduction in inventory costs and a 67% increase in sales.
After the implementation of the 5S System by a window manufacturing company, productivity was increased by 35% and over-time was reduced by 45%.
Course Description: LE203 - One-Day Workshop: The 5S System
The 5S System is part of an integrated suite of tools and services developed specifically for manufacturers. This course is one in a series of related lean courses MEP offers. This workshop offers you an opportunity to experience first hand how the 5S System reduces waste in the mounting plate assembly area of a simulated production facility. Participants learn the concepts of the 5S System and then apply them to transform a cluttered, disorganized production area into a clean, organized and orderly workplace.
