“5S? Oh, I know. At work, we call it the SOL Program (safety, order, and cleanliness). We already use it. Now we're looking for something else.” And yes, that's the risk of 5S: thinking it's a little program to learn how to sweep better, or to make the huge volumes of unfiled papers less noticeable in the office, or to clean up oil leaks on some machines at the end of the shift.
The problem is that this isn't the only way it works. And this is where the explanation for the failure to implement the 5S can be found: confusing the means (cleanliness and order) with the end of the methodology (cultural change).
The 5S are one of the simplest, clearest, and most effective tools for finally achieving the much-vaunted "cultural change." Why?
Because the most important elements resulting from these processes are gathered within it:
• A pleasant and safe workplace.
• Space for the participation of the person as a whole (BRAIN and HEART of the work) and not just as a WORKFORCE.
• Information available to everyone without the need to organize a treasure hunt.
• Continuous learning based on experience, problem analysis, and team decision-making.
• Increased productivity by reducing non-operational time, travel, and inconvenience.
• Improve quality by analyzing administrative or production errors and finding their root causes.
• Stimulus for the development of individual responsibility.
Oh well!! So they are magic!!!
No. They require knowledge, effort, perseverance, commitment, and adherence to the methodology. They require an understanding of the underlying philosophy as well as the sequence of steps for implementation.
Our experience shows that, on their own, they are a tool of excellence. But also, since they address the fundamentals of any organization, they serve as a foundation for the subsequent implementation of other, more comprehensive methodologies: TPM, Lean Manufacturing, and even more widespread systems like ISO Standards.
In their development, they have a competitive advantage: if properly applied, with prior training in the subject, and the development and support of what is known as the "5S Promotion Committee," they show some almost immediate results. There is no doubt that, to fully utilize them, we must continue to study, deepen, analyze, and work, and things will arise that are not so easy to decide or put into practice. But there is something we must not forget: the factory sells, the office sells, the warehouse sells, the premises sell.
It's hard to deny that walking into a clean, tidy, well-marked, painted space, with people working comfortably and in a good mood, gives us a sense of trust. Something very different happens when someone we're talking to has to search for a piece of paper in a messy pile, or has to walk 50 meters to find it. Or when we walk through a plant and need to "skip" over puddles of oil or water, or discarded materials piled up in unusual places.
Haven't you tried 5S yet? We invite you to learn about a tool that's worth your time.
Have you been through this? Have you already improved your key business indicators (Productivity, Quality, Cost, Delivery, Safety and Hygiene, and Morale)? Then we challenge you to rethink your program, to figure out how to continue, how to sustain it, how to get the most benefits.
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