Using a fictional, though frequent, animation scene, this video will show us Joe trying to prepare a report for a meeting. He has a lot of trouble doing it and is faced with lots of waste.

This video will show you examples of waste we can typically found on real workplaces. This video will establish the initial state of a door lock assembly line, which willl go through the process of implementing 5S

It starts with a general view of the line’s workstations in order to identify the improvement opportunities. There are some examples, such as objects without a clear location and marking and the use of degradated or inadequate tools and the lack of standard maintenance procedures.

With this video we give an explaination about 5S - a methodology named after five words started by “S” in Japanese. We are talking about Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. Each word represents a different stage of this waste eliminating cycle that you need to understand.

Continuing with our example of the door lock assembly line, the continuous improvement manager and the production manager decide to implement 5S.

The first 5S audit is performed in order to assess the current state. It is made on the shop floor, supported by a check-list with several items, the final score generating a 5S audit result in percentage.

Sort is the first step of 5S, as showed in this video. Focusing on choosing only the right objects and removing the unnecessary ones is a simple technique we can implement at work, but it definitely requires discipline.

Now that the the current state is known, the first step of 5S implementation takes place – Sort.

The main goal of this stage is to remove unnecessary objects and to identify anomalies, by moving every object and equipment on the line. All objects must be cleaned, and eventually painted, to improve visual management and to help detecting anomalies.

Set in order goes further and applies criteria such as distance and frequency of use to place objects, and makes use of visual management to make clear and evident where every object should be.

5S in the the door lock assembly line team moves on to the next step, Set in Order.

Every object gets its location defined, considering criteria like frequency and sequence of use.

There are 3 keys to Set in order: defining and identifying the objects, defining and marking their location and defining and visually representing their maximum quantity.

This video presents Shine - the third step of 5S. Its purpose seems obvious, but unfortunately it is frequently misunderstood. There can be many sources of dirt, so the focus is on eliminating the source, or, if this is not possible, to contain it.

This video gives examples of this, that can be easily found in our real lives.

The purpose of Shine in 5S is not just to clean, but to define strategies to minimize the effort of keeping a clean workplace. The dirt sources should be eliminated or, if not possible, contained. Cleaning kits and cleaning standards are essential.

We start by inspecting in detail the work stations, cleaning, and identifying sources of dirt. In the example given, an excess of oil in the belts was found.

Standardizing means creating the rules to guarantee a safe, clean and eficient workplace. It helps to smooth the work, because operations are performed like expected. “No surprises” is good to avoid waste.

Our team is ready to start to standardize. They will have to define a set of standards to keep the line in order, clean, safe and without useless objects.

The standards must be simple, objective and visual. The standards must be visible to anyone in the line.

Consistency is needed to sustain 5S, so it is important to get everyone involved. A useful tool is to create an audit routine, in order to check the development of 5S. On this video, we explain this process.

All the work and improvement done during the previous 5S steps must be sustained. It is necessary to respect the rules to be able to identify improvement opportunities, correct anomalies and improve standards.

Sustain uses a set of measures to promote respect for the rules, such as audits and 5S deployment communication.

The differences on a workstation before and after 5S are astonishing. The impact of 5S is visible and its results undeniable.

Starting with a pilot will help the team to learn by doing and from the errors made, without disturbing the other areas.

Once this initial stage of the lean transformation is complete and the sources of waste are now clear, take advantage of the motivation of the team and get everyone to the next level of improvement.