The first three S's, Organization/Classification, Order, and Cleanliness, are activities. In other words, they require specific behaviors and "things to do" in our work environment. Today we address the fourth S, known as SEIKETSU, which could be translated as STANDARDIZED CLEANING or simply STANDARDIZATION. It basically consists of applying, replicating, and maintaining what has been developed up to now. More than an activity, it is a permanent condition or state.
A factory, office, workshop, or office that maintains the first three "S" are clean, pleasant, and safe places. Therefore, we need to find ways to keep them in optimal condition.
There is an important difference between the 3rd and 4th S's. The foundation of Cleaning is sweeping and washing. What? Everything. Including the equipment available in the area. The foundation of Standardized Cleaning is eliminating the sources of dirt. This is achieved by applying each of the S's daily and going beyond mere cleaning. We've seen that cleaning is inspection. Standardized cleaning is prevention.
During the first three activities, people have gradually acquired a critical sense that helps them identify abnormal situations. Now it's time to analyze these situations using very simple methodologies such as: Why, Why?
Whenever a dirt problem arises, the group repeatedly asks itself, "Why?" This way, it's possible to get to the root cause to eliminate the source of dirt and avoid backsliding on the first three "S"—the true objective of SEIKETSU. At the same time, combating the sources of dirt is what maintains employee morale, as it makes a routine action (cleaning) gradually easier to perform and potentially even unnecessary.
To successfully apply this step, you must work on 3 fundamental points:
- Assign responsibilities
- Integrate 5S into daily activities
- Check the maintenance and progress of conditions
To successfully implement the program, it is essential that each participant understands their responsibilities. This means clearly detailing what who must do, when, where, and how.
One of the most common mistakes is assigning extra time for the 5 S's, implying that this time is dedicated to the program and that the rest of the days are spent working "normally." However, for the ambitious results proposed by the methodology to be achieved, the 5 S's must be part of daily activities. In other words, maintaining the conditions achieved with the first three S's must be part of the daily work routine. Visual management of areas also plays a fundamental role here, as it helps to highlight and demonstrate malfunctions.
Finally, to ensure proper development of SEIKETSU, it is necessary to verify the daily maintenance of conditions through systematic monitoring. It is not only necessary to implement the Organization, Order, and Cleanliness activities, but also to check the effectiveness of the decisions made to determine whether or not they contribute to the goal of zero dirt.
For this purpose, it is recommended to use a checklist specifically tailored to each work environment, where the main points to be cleaned are verified.
Standardized cleaning involves creating a consistent way of performing everyday tasks. Standardizing equipment means anyone can operate the machine. Standardizing operations means anyone can perform the operation.
Finally, we must apply SEIKETSU to people. This entails ensuring the good appearance and physical and mental health of each employee. To achieve this, we must not only ensure appropriate clothing and safety equipment, but also promote a balanced diet and holistic human development. The 5Ss, more than any other methodology, clearly state that there is no organizational development without personal development.
The more consistently we focus on developing these activities, the faster we can move to the next level of implementation, which is prevention. To do this, we must learn to ask ourselves why and be relentless in placing red flags, as these are what allow us to highlight irregularities and are a call to analyze the causes behind their appearance.
As a reminder, we could summarize the content of the fourth S in one sentence:
People and Machines in good condition.
In the next installment we will address the fifth and final “S” Shitsuke
Eng. Raúl A. Perez Verzini
International Instructor TPM # 723
Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance.
