Shop Floor Management Best Practices

There are several ways to improve shop floor management to ensure that
inefficiencies are reduced and production increases without sacrificing
quality. Below are several best practices to employ when implementing
shop floor management.

Implement the 5S Method From Lean Manufacturing

The 5s method used in lean manufacturing is a methodology for

organizing, cleaning, developing and sustaining a productive work
environment. The definitions of those five pillars of the practice are
described below.

 Sort (Seiri): Sorting items and materials, removing

anything unnecessary to reduce lost time and
distractions and increase usable space and safety.

 Set in Order (Seiton): Puts all necessary items in the

best place to make a business’ workflow operate
smoothly and efficiently.

 Shine (Seiso): Keep the workspace, tools and

machinery clean and remove any source of
contamination to make it safe and easy to work in.

 Standardize (Seiketsu): The process of maintaining

the first three Ss and implementing procedures and
schedules that reinforce those steps.

 Sustain (Shitsuke): Trian, educate and change habits

while following the first four steps to enforce the entire
methodology.
Use Visual Management Tools & Techniques

These are used to impart information quickly to teams during the daily,
weekly or monthly meetings or as they execute their tasks. Some of the
most commonly used ones are described below.

 Kanban Boards: A physical or digital tool that

visualizes work, limits work-in-progress and maximizes
efficiency.

 Flowcharts: A diagram that shows a process, system

or computer algorithm to communicate complex
processes in a clear, easy-to-understand way.

 PERT charts: A program evaluation review technique

chart graphically represents a project timeline and the
tasks needed to complete it.

 Gantt charts: Illustrations work completed over a

period about the time planned for that work on both a
spreadsheet and timeline.

 Andon Systems: Used to quickly alert operators

about a problem o