Professional Documents
Culture Documents
2015 09 LMJ 5S Complete PDF
2015 09 LMJ 5S Complete PDF
& PURPOSE
5S We are
doing it wrong
READ ABOUT:
5S and why we are doing it
wrong
Associate
Professor
at NTNU,
Torbjrn
Netland takes
a closer look
at each of
the five
S-words, and
finds many of
us might have
missed the point
in part one of his two
part investigation.
F
ive short Japanese words, each
beginning with an S. The
majority of employees in the
industrial sector, and increasingly in the
public sector, have heard about the 5Ss.
The problem? The vast majority of
companies trying to implement 5S fail, and
do so repeatedly. Many mistake it as a
concept for cleaning and tidying up, a
boring but necessary activity for any
professional business.
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PRINCIPLES
& PURPOSE
In Japanese primary, secondary and high schools, it is a very common practice that
students have daily cleaning time, for example 30 minutes. They clean not only their
classrooms, but also shared areas such as the corridors, toilets, entrance, etc. A more
common Japanese word for Seiso is Souji (). It is one of the fundamental Japanese
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PRINCIPLES
& PURPOSE
customs. An illustrative example: In the we should strive to do the cleaning while sense, Shitsuke is the process of training
2014 Soccer World Cup in Brazil, the media machines are running. Not cleaning at the (mental) body to become beautiful
broadcast pictures of Japanese soccer fans all is equivalent to never brushing your which refers to developing a healthy and
tidying up their seats and sitting areas teeth. It is simply a bad idea. Note that disciplined organisational culture.
after the games. Seiso also includes other activities that
help implement the visual factory, such The usual English translation of Shitsuke,
Sticking to the letter S, the English as installing sky lights, painting the factory sustain, can be misleading: Shitsuke
translation of Seiso is often sweep, walls in light colours, and replace non- is not about sustaining the first four Ss
scrub or shine, even though cleaning transparent covers with transparent ones. per se (remember that Seiketsu is the
would arguably be closer. Note that Seiso Making the factory more beautiful is process of sustaining Seiri, Seiton and
is not just about brushing and washing, it important too, but not the main objective Seiso), but rather a fundamental culture-
aims to keep machines, equipment and of Seiso. building process that makes sure people
facilities in a functional, visual and well- see the purpose of and are motivated
maintained state. Because dust attracts Seiketsu can be achieved by applying a to act on the rules of 4S. It fosters self-
dusts and litter stimulates littering, combination of reactive and preventive motivated discipline in the members
the absence of Seiso quickly results in an actions. Reactive actions include practices of the organisation. Shitsuke should
impaired factory. like regular Gemba walks and scheduled manifest itself in deeds and habits, such
5S audits with the purpose of identifying as, for example, washing hands, using
Seiketsu is often translated to standardise areas for Seiri, Seiton and Seiso. These safety equipment and proper working
which means maintaining a standard. This practices are very usual, but require a clothes, respecting the work time,
might result in wrong interpretations: routine and sustained commitment by the prioritising the team over self, following
Seiketsu is not the activity of making management in order to be effective in the standard operating procedures, and
work standards (another important long run (which is why we need the fifth contributing with creativity to improve
element of lean production), but rather and final S). Weekly or monthly 5S audits the standard. Only recently we have
the activity of sustaining all the three first are maybe the most used (and misused) started to understand the power of
Ss. Seiketsu is the ideal status after you lean tools. An obvious risk is that it favors Shitsuke in the lean production literature
have sorted, set-in-order, and cleaned compliance over understanding. (see, for example, the books The Toyota
up. In one sense it means creating and Way to Lean leadership by Jeffrey Liker
maintaining standards for Seiri, Seiton, Examples of preventive Seiketsu actions and Gary Convis, and Toyota Kata by
and Seiso. Seiketsu is the foundation are installing ventilators, air filters, door Mike Rother).
for improvement, well-being of the mats, surface treatment of concrete
employees, and effective production. One floors, and so on. The best preventive HOW TO DO IT
of my Japanese colleagues, who moved actions are those that eliminate the Admittedly, Shitsuke appears
to Europe a few years ago, provides an cause of unnecessary items, disorder, paternalisticbut the intention is good.
illustrative example: and dirt altogether. For example, areas In the Japanese system, the operator
where dust enters the factory can be is taught by the foreman, the foreman
sealed permanently. Also, appropriate by the line manager, the line manager
At my kids school, the kids rarely wardrobe and canteen facilities may be by the production manager and so
have opportunities to clean the good preventive actions. Clearly, Seiketsu on. The relationship between a sub-
shared area. Instead, the school cannot be achieved by one-off Katazuke ordinate (Kohai) and a senior (Senpai,
hires a janitor for cleaning, and the campaigns alone, but requires Kaizen or sometimes Sensei, which means
parents do a big cleaning event twice (continuous improvement activities). teacher is not do what I tell you or tell
a year. In Japan, we always think me what to and Ill do it, but rather a
that it is much better to let pupils THE FIFTH S: coaching relationship aiming to provide
clean by themselves so that they use SHITSUKE guidance from someone with experience
the areas with more care and find The fifth S, Shitsuke (), is different from to someone without. In particular, the
improvements for a better school the first four Ss that Shingo and Ohno role of the foreman is essential for the
environment. To have and keep discussed in Toyota (4S). According to success of 5S. It is the job of the foreman
Seiketsu should be a goal in Japanese colleagues, Shistuke is a rather to provide regular on-the-job-training
the school. strange word to use in a professional for his/her operators. The shop-floor
business setting, because it is usually operators should implement and sustain
reserved for raising children or pets. 4S through Shitsuke.
HOW TO DO IT Shitsuke can be translated to discipline,
The cleaning activities of Seiso can educated or following the rules. Just as for the other Ss, there are practical
typically be carried out at the end of Shitsuke implies a set of rules that methods that can assist the Shitsuke
every shift. Five or ten minutes are somebody is taught. For 5S, the set of process too. On-the-job and class room
sufficient. The obvious drawback is that rule is 4S. The kanji character () can training are obvious activities. Others
such cleaning routines often mean five or be split into two parts: and . include information billboards and slogans,
ten minutes of lost production. Therefore, means body and means beauty. In this daily team meetings on the shop-floor,
regular newsletters, town hall meetings, Seiton Organise items in the but indirect and hard to measure. Fifth,
gemba walks by senior management, workplace 5S is not sexy; it makes people start
showing performance indicators on team Seiso Clean the workplace daydreaming of the weekend. We all
boards, offer rewards and recognition, Seiketsu Maintain Seiri, Seiton and know that a certain level of industrial
and perform checklists of adherence Seiso housekeeping is needed, but can we ever
to standards. But none of this will be Shitsuke Discipline the organisation succeed with 5S?
successful if the management style is that
of command and conquer. Individual perceptions of 5S differ widely.
Very often it is wrongly perceived as a Here is my conclusion:
Managers need to lead by example to mere tool for tidying up and cleaning. Try not to make 5S a goal
develop the right culture. There is no These are indeed essential elements in itself. It could probably
quick fix in creating discipline towards of Seiton and Seiso, but do not capture be a good idea to never
a 5S culture. On a day-to-day basis, Ohnos and Shingos original idea of 5S. introduce (or re-introduce)
managers must be visible, enthusiastic, We can hardly blame anyone for this 5S as a tool for your Seiri
and supportive. Teams should be limited understanding of 5S. First, there company. Focus instead
empowered with budgets and time are different translations of the concept on the leadership part,
set aside for 5S activities. Everyone in some more correct than others. Even building the right discipline Seiton
the organization should be trained and best-selling books on lean production get and culture in your
developed. An effective way to do this 5S wrong, most often misinterpreting organisation towards the
is the train the trainer system, where Seiketsu and Shitsuke. Second, 5S is not a objective of 5S: Seiso
the responsibility of 5S gets disseminated very intuitive concept; Seiketsu is integral
in the organization. Building a good 5S for Seiri, Seiton and Seiso, and Shitsuke Create, maintain, and
culture takes years. is integral to Seiketsu and a higher-level improve an efficient Seiketsu
characteristic of the organisational culture. workplace organisation
CONCLUSION Third, because companies usually do not with high levels of visual
5S is extremely popular in industry. understand Shitsuke, the other Ss can control. Shitsuke
It is often celebrated as the first never be sustained. This leads to cyclical
tool to implement in a lean journey. restarts of incomplete 5S projects. Fourth, Good luck with getting
Unfortunately, countless firms never 5S itself has a direct cost, but doesnt 5S right!
make it beyond the first Ss, and then save a penny; the benefits are plentiful,
they regress to no S. As this discussion
of 5S shows, 5S is not a tool, but rather a
full concept that builds a foundation for
any professional business. Introducing RECOMMENDED READING:
the two first Ss, Seiri-Seiton, result
in an orderly, effective and logical If you want to study the concept of 5S further, I recommend
workplace. Adding the third S, Seiso, you the following books:
makes the workplace clean, functional Imai, M. (1986). Kaizen, the key to Japans competitive success. Random House
and attractive. These three Ss are good Business Division.
housekeeping practices and create visual
control, which is a wanted result of Ohno, T. (1988). Workplace management. Productivity Press.
any 5S project. The fourth S, Seiketsu, is
about sustaining the result. And the fifth Osada, T. (1991). The 5Ss: five keys to a total quality environment. Asian
S, Shitsuke, is about building discipline Productivity Organization.
in the organisation towards the idea and Hirano, H., & Talbot, B. (1995). 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace.
standards of 5S. Taylor & Francis.
Lets face it, remembering five Japanese Hirano, H. (1996). 5S for Operators: 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace.
words (even remembering five sequenced Productivity Press.
words of your native language) is a Kimura, K. (2014). Untitled manuscript about 5S. Unpublished manuscript.
challenging task. It is much better to
understand the underlying idea of the To learn more about Shistuke (the fifth S) see the following books:
concept. Not forcing a translation of
5S into words starting with S, I find the Liker, J., & Convis, G. L. (2011). The Toyota Way to lean leadership.
following suggestion to be more correct McGraw-Hill.
(see Imai, 1986, and Hirano, 1996, for Rother, M. (2010). Toyota kata: managing people for continuous improvement
similar translations): and superior results. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional.
Seiri Sort items to retain, return
and rid
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