5S is a business process improvement strategy that describes how to organise a workspace for efficiency and effectiveness. It originates from 5 Japanese words, all beginning with the letter ‘S’ seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Although there are many corresponding variations for the English translation, the most commonly used in consultancy and business training today are:
Sort (seiri) – Refers to the removal of unnecessary items and disposing of them properly.
Straighten (seiton) – Refers to arranging all necessary items so they can be easily selected for use.
Shine (seiso) – Refers to maintaining a clean working space to ensure safety and prevent machines and equipment from deteriorating.
Standardise (seiketsu) – Refers to standardising the best practices in the work area.
Sustain (shitsuke) – Refers to training and discipline to keep everything in working order.
By implementing the 5S business process improvement system, an organisation can enjoy increased efficiency, greater workplace safety, effective cost control measures and an improvement in overall customer and employee satisfaction.
Is 5S suitable for my business?
All businesses can benefit from implementing the 5S methodology. Although the system originated in the manufacturing field, it can be applied across all industries including in retail stores, hospitals, schools, media organisations, government and more.
Above all, in order for 5S to be effective, it has to be more than just a business process improvement methodology; it needs to be a culture that is embedded into the organisation.
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