what is 5S? What Is Lean Manufacturing?
And What's In It For Me?
The term '5S' originates from five Japanese words starting with the letter 'S' –Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set In Order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize) and Shitsuke (Sustain With Discipline). The 5S System serves as a Lean Manufacturing Methodology that contributes to and improves your shop's efficiency via optimizing your facility's organization. Lean manufacturing refers to the application of 5S principles, the implementing of lean practices, and sometimes includes the utilization of lean tools and kits in conjunction with these efforts to manufacture physical products. Lean manufacturing allows an array of benefits, including increased efficiency and reduced waste, as described below.
The benefits of 5S & Lean Manufacturing
Increased Efficiency
Implementing the Principles Of 5S & Lean Manufacturing typically leads to improvements in a number of areas. Most notably, the following:
- Delivery Targets Met (Statistics show an average increase of 26%*):
Meeting your delivery targets is indicative of having efficient and reliable processes, less downtime, and less rework. - Stock Turnover (Statistics show an average increase of 33%*):
High levels of inventory are a reflection of costly raw materials or tools waiting to be used, and in-progress or finished goods sitting on your shelves. Increased stock turnover equates to better inventory planning and less unnecessary spend. - Improved Productivity (Statistics show an average increase of 25%*):
Implementing lean principles can increase the efficiency of your processes and workflows, decrease set-up time, and allow for consistent review and improvement of your processes. - Improved Space Efficiency (Statistics show an average improvement of 33%*):
Implementing lean principles can streamline the way you flow operations within your shop, typically requiring less motion of your team, raw materials, parts, and machinery within your workspace, saving you time and making the most efficient use of your space. - Reduced Scrap (Statistics show an average reduction of by 26%*):
The consistent review and improvement of your processes allows you to identify efficiencies, improve quality, and reduce both downtime and rework.
REDUCED WASTE
The Principles Of 5S & Lean Manufacturing are proven to reduce the time and incurred costs associated with non-value added operations including inventory, motion, transport, over-processing, overproduction, re-work (required process corrections), and waiting. Also known as the Seven 'Mudas' or the '7 Wastes', these operations can all heavily impact your overall costs and your bottom line.
Increased Profitability
Implementing 5S Principles and Lean Manufacturing requires a continual effort to lessen or eliminate non-value-added activities. The reduction or elimination of waste – whether physical waste in the form of unused or scrapped materials and manufactured product, or waste in terms of time, directly impacts your bottom line. Minimizing overhead, streamlining your workflows, and making efficient use of your resources allows you to manufacture the maximum amount of product, using the least amount of space, materials, and personnel.
WAnt To download a 5s checklist?
As you implement 5S in your facility, having clear step by step instructions and recommendations to follow is invaluable. By downloading our implementing 5S checklist, you'll also find information on:
- Specific preliminary steps to take to create a baseline that you can compare against and best gauge the efficiencies you gain with 5S
- Specific steps to take as you implement each 'S'
- Ways to monitor adherence to 5S methodology
- Steps to take to ensure continual improvement & sustainability of 5S
*Source: Manufacturing Advisory Service Agency
This UK government agency served, studied and assisted thousands of industrial shops and organizations from 2002-2016. The now dissolved government agency serves today as a non-profit advisory organization that serves small to mid-size businesses throughout the UK.
