Book Description

5S-operation model is one tool of the Lean-philosophy. It stands for improving the order and cleanliness, and creating comfort and a safe working environment. The aim is to increase the productivity of labour. At the same time all the non-value adding actions, such as the time used for searching, should be cut out. It is just one of the many tools which the Lean-ideology includes. 5S consists of five (5) different phases and it was also created in Japan. The names of the phases come from Japanese and all of them begin with the letter s. That is where the name 5S stems from. The phases are:SORT - SEIRISET IN ORDER - SEITONSHINE - SEISOSTANDARDIZE - SEIKETSUSUSTAIN (Some time Sustained Discipline) - SHITSUKEIt is possible to start a 5S program in just one department or area. This allows management to fine-tune the approach and adapt it to the specific workplace. Running a pilot project also permits a group of employees to learn what to do and how to do it. For example, suppose a factory has a centralized team for equipment maintenance, but separate workers for various processes. The maintenance team will be involved everywhere. They might be overwhelmed by an initial factory-wide project, but do well in one area at a time. Also, once they learn from the pilot project, they will bring their new expertise to each new area.Cleanliness and order characterize significant issues both for customers and potential labour force. The starting point is that profitable and high quality tasks can be conducted only in a clean environment. The basic idea is to increase productivity, to improve the level of quality and to raise work ethic. These factors are reached when the working environment is clean and in good order. 5S is a practical tool for maintaining these. It helps to find and eliminate problems in time. The 5S-model is special because it can be applied in to an office as well as in the production of a company. Systematic and disciplined operations are developed also with the 5S-model. The 5S-system has several vital targets. The work station is an important area in the employees' daily life. It should be clean, in good order and safe. In addition to these, 5S gives the company tools to make it an efficient and comfortable place to work. There the staff members must feel easy to simplify the ongoing progresses. The operation model should cause fewer accidents, rejection discards, waste running, stoppages and mistakes. Instead it creates comfort to the environment, better productivity and a good impression to the customers.