5S Training and Implementation

5S, used as a tool to achieve Workplace Organization, is an integral part of the Lean Manufacturing process. The 5S’s are Sort, Straighten, Sweep, Schedule and Sustain. When 5S is performed as the first step of a Lean effort, processes become more visible and identified “wastes” such as excess motion and inventory are cleaned out. The goal of 5S training and implementation is to establish workplace organization that develops the disciplined work habits that are crucial in the latter phases of lean implementation.

The benefits of a 5S implementation include:

• An organized, efficient workplace for improved productivity
• A cleaner work place for improved safety
• Reducing inventory and supply costs
• Recapturing valuable floor space and minimizing overhead costs
• Contributes to “how we feel” about our product, our company, and ourselves
• Provides an always-ready customer showcase to promote business

TAG’s 5S Services are offered at three different levels to serve three different objectives:

• 5S Blitz – This session is 4-5 days in length and involves working with a team from a particular area or process line in the facility. The session includes a combination of classroom work and plant floor work. In the classroom, the team will learn the basics of 5S including definitions, benefits, and scoring system. On the plant floor, the team performs an initial 5S evaluation to establish a base line. Then the 5S training is actually implemented in the team’s work areas to give them an enhanced understanding of the 5S principles while making positive, visible changes to the work environment. An inspection and “score” follow. Teams then learn and develop a plan for sustained, ongoing improvements to make the work area “world class”.
• General Workforce Training - This training is 1 ½ - 2 hours in length and involves groups of 15-20 participants. It is a condensed version of the 5S Blitz activity in which the general workforce learns the basics of 5S in a classroom setting and then moves to the plant floor to see examples of 5S. This training is an excellent supplement to the 5-S Blitz Activity as it motivates your associates to sustain the gains made during the blitz.
• Independent 5S Audits – Once the initial 5S program is put into place in your facility, maintaining the integrity of program and the scoring is essential to continued improvement. TAG offers a program for recommended quarterly audits of your program by one of our associates. These unannounced audits are performed with an eye for improvement opportunities and serve to keep your scoring system properly calibrated.
  

Before	After

Before	After

If you're ready to make positive, lasting improvements to your workplace organization, Contact TAG today to learn more about getting started with this valuable tool.