We may be familiar with situations such as not being able to find the key to a cabinet containing the papers we need, or finding all kinds of tools in our chests except the one we urgently need to repair a broken machine. Perhaps it's common to send someone else to get something and wait a long time only for them to finally return without what they requested.
Order involves arranging the necessary elements in a way that makes them easy to use, and identifying them so that anyone can find and use them if needed. Order should always be practiced in parallel with the first S: Organization.
What is the contribution of this second stage? Mainly to eliminate many losses, especially time lost when searching for items or data.
This stage also marks the beginning of the first steps toward standardization. By this, we mean creating a consistent way of performing tasks. When we think of standardization, we should think of "any":
» Standardizing a machine means that “anyone” can operate it.
» Standardizing operations means that “anyone” can perform them.
» Standardizing the file means that “anyone” can find the information they need.
And this brings us directly to a central concept in the process: visual controls, that is, any means of communication that informs us, just by looking, how we should do things.
Visual Management would require a whole development in itself, but we can say that it is used to communicate information such as: where things should be, how many things should be in that place, what is the standard way of doing something, the status of work in progress, etc.
Two steps allow us to implement the S of Order: the first is to define the best locations for each necessary item, first evaluating their current locations. The second step involves clearly identifying these locations once they've been decided upon.
Visual controls are means used to communicate standards for how work is done. Visual order involves the use of visual controls to create order. But the best order is the one that doesn't need to be created, which is why the 5Ss lead to organizational improvement by systematically working to identify and eliminate organizational waste.
Among the losses that are sought to be combated are:
» Time wasted due to unnecessary movements,
» Time wasted searching for items that cannot be found,
» Energy losses of people due to movements that could be simplified
» Losses due to excess stocks
» Losses due to defective products used due to not having been properly identified
» Losses due to unsafe conditions that result in easily avoidable accidents.
In this context, one of the most widely used tools is the 5S map, which can be used to assess current storage locations for parts, jigs, tools, fixtures, and equipment and to determine the best locations for these items based on ease and speed of use.
As a reminder, we could summarize the content of this second S in a well-known phrase:
“A place for everything and everything in its place”
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| Example of Visual Management in Offices | Example of Visual Management in Industries |
In the next installment we will address the third “S” or Seiso.
Eng. Raúl A. Perez Verzini
International Instructor TPM # 723
Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance.
