FIVE KEYS known as 5S - a way of Total Quality Environment

Transcription

1 International In-house Counsel Journal Vol. 5, No. 18, Winter 2012, 1 FIVE KEYS known as 5S - a way of Total Quality Environment PROF R BALAKRISHNAN Professor, Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, India 1. 5S an introduction 5S is a Japanese concept which seeks to keep the workplace and even the home in an orderly and systematic manner so that at any point everything could be located with least difficulty or effort. This article is dwelling upon the concept of 5S, its meaning as well as applicability in work place, maintaining the importance documents. In short we could say that 5S is -: Sort -Set in Order Shine Standardize and finally Sustain. 2. There is a space for everything and everything has its own place Practicing 5S helps not only in a working place in an organization but even at home, in our professional service offices, shops, office at any place since it is based on the concept, that there is a space for everything and everything has its own place. The whole idea of this concept is that, everything, let it be a document, instrument, important articles anything could be located within few seconds without wasting time for searching which is seen in most of the places including in our own house. The practice of 5S helps in improving our efficiency in doing the things in a better way and also in a speedy manner. 3. Maintenance of place spic and span / neat and clean Besides the above, the place let it be office place, shop floor, home kitchen is kept spic and span neat and clean and everyone would love to work in such an environment. The 5S concept works on visual management with a result, even anyone who is connected with the with the concerned work place/department i.e., outsider would be able to locate the things very easily without wasting any time on searching and this is one of the greatest advantage of 5S. Every organization s pursuit of quality improvement must begin with the basics, namely, a campaign dedicated, to organizing the workplace, data maintenance room, keeping it neat and clean, maintaining the standardized conditions & discipline needed and to have a better and to have a better and efficient working conditions. 4. Let us understand 5S The name 5S derived from the first letters of the Japanese terms for:- Japanese term English equivalent Meaning in Japanese context Seiri Tidiness Throw away all rubbish, unrelated and unwanted materials in the workplace. Seiton Orderliness Set everything in proper place This would facilitate for quick retrieval and storage when needed. Seiso Cleanliness Clean the workplace everyone should be a janitor. Seiketsu Standardization Standardize the way of maintaining cleanliness by setting procedure. Shitsuke Discipline Practice Five S daily - make it a way of life / habit - this also means commitment. International In-house Counsel Journal ISSN print/issn online

2 2 Prof R Balakrishnan 5. Is 5S concept new to international community? The concept of 5S is not new to international community. Infact almost all organizations across the world have been practicing in one way or other the 5S principles without knowing or noticing that this is 5S. To cite some examples, many organizations have performed housekeeping activities and cleanup activities to remove extra inventories, personal items, tools etc., from the working areas. Also, many organizations have already organized their working areas so as to keep efficiency high and cost down. Many organizations have been organizing the proper record keeping methods by using compactors for easy access of the documents. This concept is not a new one but has been in practice without knowing to the people that they have been practicing 5S one way or other. 6. 5S Method of organizing 5S is a method for organizing a workplace, especially a shared workplace example - a shop floor where manufacturing takes place or an office space where commercial activities are carried out and keeping it well organized pick and span/neat and clean tidy neat place. Though, one may say that this is a way of housekeeping methodology the 5S goes beyond housekeeping and this can be evident by looking at the section of Seiton which is systematic management. The key targets of 5S are based on three concepts i.e. i. workplace morale, ii. safety and iii. efficiency. The assertion of 5S is, by assigning everything a location, time is not wasted by looking for things. Additionally, it is quickly obvious when something is missing from its designated location. Advocates of 5S believe the benefits of this methodology come from deciding:- what should be kept, where it should be kept, and how it should be stored. This decision making process usually comes from a dialog about standardization which builds a clear understanding, between employees, of how work should be done. It also instills ownership of the process in each employee in the organization. In addition to the above, another key distinction between 5S and standardized cleanup is Seiton. Seiton is often misunderstood, perhaps due to efforts to translate into an English word beginning with S (such as sort or straighten ). The key concept here is to order items or activities in a manner to promote work flow. For example, tools should be kept at the point of use, workers should not have to repetitively bend to access materials, flow paths can be altered to improve efficiency, etc. Similarly, the documents, records which are required day to day working to be kept in such a way that one is able to access it very easily whenever required. Let us look at the 5S Japanese concept in brief to have a better understanding:- 7. Seiri (Tidiness) The very first step of the 5S process is Seiri which refers to the act of identifying and throwing the unwanted, unnecessary and unrelated materials in the workplace which are

3 Total Quality Environment 3 stored. The employees of the organization should not feel sorry about having to throw away things since the idea is to ensure that everything must be kept to be absolute bare minimum what is needed. Even the number of necessary items in the workplace must be kept to its absolute bare minimum. One has to do the sorting: Going through all the tools, materials, etc., in the plant and work area, running a check in the office for only the needed documents and records and keeping only the essential items. Everything else is to be discarded. This is essential since Seiri, requires simplification of tasks, effective use of space and careful purchase of items follow. 8. Seiton (orderliness) Straighten or set in order or even orderliness is all about efficiency. This step focuses on putting everything in an assigned place so that it can be accessed or retrieved quickly when needed, as well as retuned to that same place quickly. If every employee of the organization has quick access to an item or materials, work flow becomes much efficient and the employee becomes more productive. The correct place, position, or holder for every tool, item, or material must be chosen carefully in relation to how the work will be performed and who will use them. Every single item must be allocated to its own place for safe keeping, and each location must be labeled for easy identification of what it s for. Although the translation of Seiton to English reads Straighten or Set in Order, it sounds like more sorting or sweeping, but the intent is to arrange the tools, equipment and parts in a manner that promotes work flow. For example, tools and equipment should be kept where they will be used (i.e. straighten the flow path), and the process should be set in an order that maximizes efficiency. For everything there should be place and everything should be in its place. (demarcation and labeling of place). In today s world of information technology, everything is stored in the computer or laptop in soft form. Assigning separate folder for important documents and putting them in the particular folder and ensuring that they are accessible quickly within no time is the one which is expected under this concept seiton. 9. Seiso (cleanliness) Seiso consists of Sweeping or Shining or Cleanliness and giving it a shine. Seiso in fact says that everyone is a Janitor. Systematic Cleaning or the need to keep the workplace clean as well as neat is the basic requirements. At the end of each shift, the work area is cleaned up and everything is restored to its place. This makes it easy to know what goes where and have confidence that everything is where it should be. The key point is that maintaining cleanliness should be part of the daily work - not an occasional activity initiated when things get too messy. No area should be left un-cleaned. Every employee of the organization should see the workplace through the eyes of a visitor from outside - always thinking if it is clean enough to make a good impression 10. Seiketsu (standardization) The next and the fourth step of 5S, or seiketsu, more or less translate to standardized clean-up. It consists of defining the standards by which personnel must measure and maintain cleanliness. Seiketsu encompasses both personal and environmental cleanliness. Personnel must therefore practice seiketsu starting with their personal tidiness. Visual management is an important ingredient of seiketsu. Color coding and standardized coloration of surroundings are used for easier visual identification of anomalies in the surroundings. Personnel are trained to detect abnormalities using their five senses and to correct such abnormalities immediately. Standardized work practices or operating in a consistent and standardized fashion. Everyone knows exactly what his or her responsibilities are to keep above 3Ss.

4 4 Prof R Balakrishnan 11. Shitsuke (discipline) The last step of 5S, Shitsuke, means sustaining the Discipline. It denotes commitment to maintain orderliness and to practice the first 4S as a way of life. The emphasis of shitsuke is elimination of bad habits and constant practice of good ones. Once true shitsuke is achieved, personnel voluntarily observe cleanliness and orderliness at all times, without having to be reminded by management. Once the previous 4Ss have been established, they become the new way of operating, and do not allow gradual decline back the old ways of operating. However, when an issue arises, such as a suggested improvement, a new way of working, a new tool or a new output requirement, then a review of the first 4S is appropriate. 12. Safety added as Sixth phase A sixth phase Safety is sometimes added. Purists, however, argue that adding it is unnecessary since following 5S correctly will result in a safe work environment. There will have to be continuous education about maintaining standards. When there are changes that will affect the 5S programme such as new equipment, new products or new work rules it is essential to make changes in the standards and provide training. A good way to continue educating employees and maintaining standards is to use 5S posters and signs. The above are the five integrated parts of good House Keeping or work place management. The adoption of these five Ss organization-wide can bring tremendous results in the longer run and the major ones are listed below: - a) Preventing accidents b) Reducing the downtime c) Enhancing operational control of processes d) Creating healthier organizational climate S history the period when started According to Mr. Takashi Osada author of the Five S they have been there from a very long time though people were not much aware of these concepts. If one could look around the place whether it is home or one s work area, office place, one can always find lots of room for improvement. 14. Benefits of 5S practice By practicing 5S, the following are the major benefits the organization could derive which would be forever in the long run. A CLEAR WORK PLACE high in productivity high in quality helps in Cost Reduction ensures Delivery on Time Safe for people to work high Morale

5 15. 5S Implementation moving forward Total Quality Environment 5 Mr. Hiroyuki Hirano an expert in 5S suggests the following three step method for implementing the 5S in any organization. Step What to do Remarks 1 Tidy up first Active 5S 2 Making a habit of Five S Live with 5S 3 Taking Five S to higher level Preventive 5S 15.1 Implementing Step one Following steps are involved for implementing 5S what is known as preparatory work before one goes ahead on implementation. Step-1 Recording the current situation which is prevailing in the organization. Process 1 Process 2 Process 3 Process 4 Process 5 Eliminating unnecessary items which are no longer required. Fixing storage place for each of the item. Consolidating daily cleaning procedures a time table. Maintaining spotless workplace Visual control in the workplace Once the first step is through, one can see the improvements immediately at the end of the first step itself! Picture showing the visual arrangement of required books in an office

6 6 Prof R Balakrishnan 15.2 Implementing Step two Step 2 Process 1 Controlling the stock level. Process 2 Making it easy to use and return things which are not required. Process 3 Making cleaning and checking habitual. Process 4 Maintaining spotless workplace. Process 5 Maintaining standards throughout the organization. Once, this step is completed and the standardization is practiced, then it becomes the habit and finally the 5S becomes the way of life and habit Implementing Step three Step 3 This step is nothing but evaluating the organization where the 5S has become habitual. and the following processes are involved in this step. Process 1 Avoiding unnecessary/unwanted items. Process 2 Avoiding disorganization. Process 3 Regularly carrying out cleaning without getting dirty again. Process 4 Prevents degradation of the Environment Once, the step is completed and the standardization is practiced, then it becomes the habit and finally the 5S becomes the way of life and habit. 16. PRACTICING FIVE 5S IN THE OFFICE The five S could be and should be implemented in every office/organization and as well as at home. Modern offices are easy place for implementation of five S. However, one could still face problem as people have own individuality and their own working style in their functioning. Due to the above, at times the standardization becomes a bit difficult but one could overcome on this. Again quoting from Mr. Takashi Osada author of the Five S he suggests ONE as best campaign i.e. one location at a time for keeping things. As per his suggestion, the following could be done. One day processing One hour meeting One minute phone call One copy filing etc Organize periodical audit and evaluation performance Fix targets Arrange competition at various levels ( Inter and Intra) Have proper knowledgeable evaluations Collect statistical data Create museum room Ensure continuous improvement

7 17. Effective working of five S (how to make it) Total Quality Environment 7 The effective working of five S can only be done if the top management of the organization supports the five S processes and its implementation, without which the five S can never be successful. However, it is not necessary whatever the top management accepts would be supported and one has to create a conviction rather courage of conviction. One would think the way one has to move forward on this. First of all, there has to be a planning stage involving the following: To have a budget for five S Giving wider publicity about five S Announce a date for five S launch Ensure all the materials needed is available At the initial stage take up one area/location Ensure that it does not lead to problem Then carry out the first step SEIRI Send away the unwanted things Second step is finding out the reason Clean up and create tidy place Once through with the above, then the next step follows which is nothing but maintaining the place in the same way that is now being organized. Everyone in the organization needs to ensure that the location/place is maintained that way and at times, this may call for change for the layout. Once the second step is through, then review the things and finally as a last step in the process carry out micro level improvement. 18 Implementation stage Then move effectively for the implementation stage. First and foremost is to form a five S council and decide the co-ordination and prepare the working system which should include the Following evaluation process criteria for evaluation awards/certification etc. Now again take photograph before carrying out changes. There could be some problem areas which need to be identified and looked into with special attention for the specific problem. 19. Potential benefits of 5S The organizations which are implementing 5S would get benefited as under:- To reduce waste hidden in the plant Improve the levels of quality and safety Reduce the lead time and cost, and thus Increases the organization s profit

8 8 Prof R Balakrishnan The potential benefits of 5S could be summarized by five English S or by the group of letters PQCDS as given below - Five English S Sales Savings Safety Standardization Satisfaction Increased sales /market shares Save costs Provide safety working environment Standardize operating procedure (SOP) Employees and customer satisfaction PQCDS P Q C D S Increase productivity Improve product quality Reduce manufacturing cost Ensure on-time delivery Provide a safety working environment 20. Implementation procedure of 5S Depending upon the organization situation, the 5S could be implemented in different manners. However, many organizations felt that the following P D C A procedure is quite effective in implementing the 5S procedure.

9 PLAN DO CHECK Total Quality Environment 9 Organize the programme committee (PLAN) Develop a plan for each S (PLAN) Publicly announce the state of the programme in the organization (DO) Provide training and education to employees (DO) Select a day and everybody cleans up his/her own workplace (DO) Select a day and everybody organizes his/her own workplace (DO) Evaluate the results of 5S (CHECK) Self-Examination and Take corrective action where required (ACTION) The 5S could be successfully implemented following a generic PDCA (Plan Do Check Action) procedure. The relationship between 5S and PDCA could be depicted as:- 21 PLAN Organize Programme committee Develop a plan for first 4S Formally announce & promote the 5S Training and education DO Everyone practices Housekeeping and cleaning up Everyone practices Workplace organization...check. Evaluation and recognition Take corrective action Maintain Discipline throughout the process

10 10 Prof R Balakrishnan 22. 5S in Japanese Although 5S has became so popular in Japan that many organizations simply use 5S as the title of their programme, some organizations post the original words of 5S in Japanese (Chinese) characters. 23. Guidelines for practicing 5S The general guidelines for implementing and practicing the first four S are explained below. The fifth S being the sustaining the discipline already brought in by the four S which actually refers in maintaining and reviewing standards set by the organization, it is a matter of practice and review. Once the 4Ss have been established, they become the new way to operate and the organization need to maintain the focus on this new way of operating, and does not allow a gradual decline back to the old ways of operating which was in existence earlier.. However, when an issue arises such as a suggested improvement, a new way of working, a new tool or a new output requirement, then a review of the first 4Ss may also become appropriate. 24. Seiri The starting point is with sorting (Seiri) the first S which focuses on eliminating items from the workplace and the steps involved are as under:- Steps Actions 1 Separate required items from items not required to start with 2 Remove not required items from working areas:(guidelines suggested) Items never used straightway discard Item not need now store them separately 3 Remove all excess items from working areas, including work pieces, supplies, personal items, tools, instruments and equipments 4 Use red tag to get rid of not required items 5 Stores items needed by most people in a common storage area (super market we call it items needed by people could be picked up from this super market when needed rather than storing with them) 6 Assign a person to organize and manage common storage place ( i.e. super market) 7 Store only items which are needed by each individual in his/her working area 8 Organize working/storage area. 25. Seiton Seiton is nothing but to set the things in order which is the second of the 5S and mainly focuses on efficient and effective storage methods. The following questions to be asked to oneself for this process. 1. What do I need to do my job? 2. Where should I locate this item? 3. How many of this item do I really need?

11 Total Quality Environment 11 The objectives of these questions are to ascertain the following which is very essential for carrying out the second of 5S. Needed items can be easily found, stored and retried. First-in-first out (FIFO) and finally. Save space and time. The above would ensure that the place is there for the item and the item has a place Guidelines 26. Seiso A place for everything and everything in its place Place tools and instructional manual close to the point of use Design the storage areas that the entrance is wider and the depth is shallower Layout the storage area along the wall to save space Place the items such that they are facing toward passage for easy access Store similar items together. Different items in separate rows Don t stack items together. Use rack or shelf if possible Use small bins to organize small items Use colour for quickly identifying items Clearly label each item and its storage areas (lead to visibility) Use see-through cover or door for visibility Use special designed cart to organize tools, jigs, measuring devices etc., that are needed to each particular machine Paint the machines after cleaning Remove cobwebs from the ceiling Paint the walls, ceilings and floors in bright colours Painting floors, outlining work areas and locations, shadow boards and modular shelving and cabinets for needed items such as trash cans, brooms, mop and buckets. Imagine how much time is wasted every day looking for a broom? The broom should have a specific location where all employees can find it. Shine (Seiso) Once the elimination of the clutter and junk is done which has been clogging the work areas and identified and located the necessary items, the next step is to thoroughly clean the work areas. Daily follow-up cleaning is necessary in order to sustain the improvement. Employees take pride in a clean and clutter-free work areas and the Shine step will help create ownership in the equipment and facility.

12 12 Prof R Balakrishnan Employees will also begin to notice changes in equipment and facility location as air, oil and coolant leaks, repeat contamination and vibration, broken, fatigue, breakages and misalignment. These changes, it left unattended, could lead to equipment failure and loss of reductions. Both add up to impact the organization s bottom line Objectives Cleanliness ensures a more comfortable and safe working place Cleanliness will lead to visibility so as to reduce search time Cleanliness ensures a higher quality of work and products 26.2 Guidelines a) Use dust collecting covers or devices to prevent possible dirt or reduce the amount of dirt. b) Investigating the causes of dirtiness and implement a plan to eliminate the sources of dirt. c) Cover around cords, legs of machines and tables such that dirt can be easily and quickly removed. d) Operators clean their own equipment and working areas can perform basic preventive maintenance. e) Keep everything clean for a constant state of readiness. f) Painting machines after cleaning. g) Removing cobwebs from the ceilings. h) Painting walls, ceilings and floors in fright colours. i) A 5S schedule posted in the factory shows who is responsible for cleaning which areas on which days and at what time/s of the day. 27. Seiketsu Standardize: (Seiketsu) once the first three 5Ss have been implemented, you should concentrate on standardizing best practices in one s work area. This forth step is to establish standards to be regularly applied to the workplace that will help maintain the first three steps (3S). All the employees of the organization should be allowed to participate in the development of such standards. They are a valuable but often overlooked source of information regarding their work. If the organization applies the first three steps as a one-off or even an annual event, the benefits are likely to be minimal at best; the organization needs to implement a programme to ensure its ongoing success. Some components of Standardize include: Assigning responsibilities; Formulating work-in-progress/inventory rules; Establishing cleaning procedures; Developing maintenance schedules; Colour coding containers, shelves, labels etc. Usage of dust collecting covers or devices to prevent possible dirt or reduce the amount of dirt. Investigating the causes of dirtiness and implementing a plan to eliminate the sources of dirt. Cover around objects to prevent from dust. Keep everything clean for a constant state of readiness.

13 28. Example for standards One can think of what i. McDonalds ii. Pizza Hut iii. UPS iv. Blockbuster and the v. United States Military would be without effective work standards. 29. Shitsuke Total Quality Environment 13 Sustain : (Shitsuke) This is the fifth and last step in 5S which is by far the most difficult S to implement and achieve. This fifth step is to make a habit of maintaining the momentum of the previous four steps to ensure sustainability of the system which is implemented. The step involves people and cultural issues. Human nature is to resist change and many organizations found themselves with a dirty cluttered ship a few months following their attempt to implement 5S. The tendency is to return to the status quo and the comfort zone of the old way of doing things. Sustain focuses on defining a new status quo standard of work place organization. 30. Critical aspects of 5S success The organization needs to build an awareness of how important 5S is; The organization needs to allow enough time for 5S activities; The 5S programme to be supported by the management support along with staff efforts in terms of acknowledgement, leadership and resources; The organization to implement reward and recognize efforts of staff put in for implementing 5S and maintaining it; The organization needs to develop a sense of satisfaction and excitement amongst staff by discussing the benefits with all employees, such as improved morale and safety and recognition that it s now a better place to work. 31. Sustainable implementation of 5S Sustainable implementation of 5S requires the support of the management. the system needs to become habitual ingrained into the culture of the organization and the employees in the organization need to live with the values of 5S which is being practiced on day to day to have the long term benefit and excellent working environment. 32. Conclusion An organization which is implementing the 5S concept would get the following benefits: Saves time otherwise spent in searching for tools, documents etc., Reduces amount of walking around (steps) to complete tasks since things are stored in a way for easy access Improves health and safety by eliminating stretching and bending Increases the reliability of equipment Makes the workplace more pleasant and increases the morale of the employees in the organization.

14 14 Prof R Balakrishnan In view of the above, every organization should create the condition to commit to making 5S a way of life so that organization s productivity increases and the top management should provide all support needed, create awareness amongst employees and finally the rewards and recognition is provided to the employees to have the successful ongoing and maintenance of 5S. At the end of the day, you can have a spic and span, clean and neat office and you could enjoy your working in such an environmental which obviously increases your efficiency. 5-S is for you Clean-up and organize your work area every day so that each new day is easier and safer than the day before Share your input with your leaders so that the tools you need will be available to you, increasing your efficiency. Volunteer to help with the 5S tours and 5S events. Take a good look around...imagine zero waste/zero confusion! Professor Balakrishnan *** Well known in the company secretary s circle by Bala, is a renowned and qualified lawyer and member of seven professional bodies. He has been honoured with Company Secretary of the year Corporate Highly Commanded, Award by the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of UK at a glittering ceremony in London, which is featuring in the Limca Book of National records in years He is the first such professional in India to achieve this designation for his caliber to go beyond the requirements of his role to maximize opportunities for his organization and he has 8 Professor R Balakrishnan - FCS, FICS (UK), CIA (USA) introduced measures for adoption of best global practices in all areas of business including compliance with UK Combined Code on corporate governance in his organization where he served. Not only this, he is also certified as Internal Control Specialist by the Institute of Internal Control from US, making him a proud person to achieve this certification which also earned him a national record in Limca Book of national records in year Further to this, Bala is also got his certification as certified Internal Control Professional by the Institute of Internal Control from US, making him, once again, and a proud person to achieve this certification which also earned him a national record in Limca Book of national records in year Prof. Bala s current activities Currently, Prof Bala, is the faculty for company secretary course conducted by the institute of company secretaries in India and he is teaching for students pursuing the secretarial course at their Pune Chapter and also teaching on e-mode learning through video based training (VBT) and through live virtual classes (LVC) sponsored by the institute of company secretaries portal known Gurukul Online Learning Solutions (GOLS). He is also a visiting faculty for Symbiosis Institute of Business Management one of the renowned B school in management studies in India and he also delivers lectures for student of Indian Institute of Management of India. He has addressed an international conference organized by Marcus Evans during the last year at Kingdom of Bahrain on secretarial related subject.