5S That Actually Works
December 5, 2011
Six month ago we did a quick, one-day kaizen event focused on Visual Workplace in two areas of an office – the fax/printing area and the marketing shipping area. The team did a great job of getting things organized and visual with signs, lines, and labels.
Fast forward six months – this time we were going to do a quick 5S training event in a production area. The operations director was doing the training (his first time and he did a great job!) and he had the team go look at the office areas that we did six months earlier because they were close to the training room. I tagged along and couldn’t believe my eyes. The areas were not just as good as six months ago they were even better!
Before Visuals
End of Kaizen Event
Six months after
I asked a couple of the office workers how they did it. This is what they said:
- “There are about only six people that use this area so it’s easy to keep an eye on it.”
- “Once we got it organized and labeled, it just maintains itself.”
- “You just make sure you don’t leave anything in the area.”
- “It’s easier because we know where everything is and where it belongs.”
- “We hold each other accountable if anything is out of place.”
One of the customer service reps mentioned that she needed to laminate something and she never used the laminator before. She said it was simple and easy because they posted a “One-Point Lesson” right on the wall by the laminator.
There was some resistance when we first did the labeling – “Everyone knows what that is.” But now, it is self-evident when things are in their right place or not. This has helped tremendously to sustaining and improving the gains achieved!
So see, there may be hope for your 5S system after all!
5S ‘discipline’ is a dirty word?
November 28, 2011
Recently I had an epiphany while working on a kaizen event in an area to help introduce 5S. For this group we needed to mention that 5S is not just about cleaning; we wanted to emphasize that 5S is about unleashing teamwork and discipline. Of course, when I say “discipline” I’m not referring to the mean or evil type of discipline like punishment. People may take the wrong connotation with the word ‘discipline’. So let’s ‘shine’ it up (pun intended). I am talking about the discipline we have to put something back in its correct location after we use it. If we can’t instill the discipline of following simple standards for 5S, then how can we master more complex systems like kanban or total productive maintenance?
Then it dawned on me, maybe I should look up other words for discipline. So here’s a list I compiled that may be helpful when trying to describe the traits we are trying to instill with 5S.
- agreement
- arrange
- control
- correct
- determination
- influence
- manage
- mastery
- order
- organize
- plan
- prepare
- regulate
- self-control
- strength of mind
- under control
- will
Since the concepts of 5S are easy, but getting people to follow the system may be hard try using some of these synonyms for discipline to effectively communicate what we are trying to accomplish with 5S.
If you need help with your 5S System, visit us at www.5Ssupply.com.
At 5S Supply we added three new ways to satisfy your labeling and visual needs! We strive to be the best source of items for your lean implementation. When it comes to labeling and a visual workplace we wanted to cover all the bases. We have three labeling, sign making devices that give you what you want from 3/8” to “how big do you need to make it?”
Brady BMP21- If you need labels from 3/8” to 3/4” then this is your answer
Brady BMP21 Label Maker
Simple to operate and quick to print, the BMP™21 label printer is the economical, must-have labeling tool for Lean. With this hand-held thermal transfer printer, you can create your labels just once – knowing they’ll stay stuck and stay legible for years ahead.
Perfect for creating a visual workplace – Lean & 5S Labeling, Healthcare Identification, Facility, Safety & Maintenance Identification, General & Industrial Labeling, Barcode Labeling, Circuit Board Labeling, Data Communications Labeling, Panel Identification, Wire & Cable Marking and more.
BMP21 price: $145.95
Printer Accessories:
- AC Adapter for BMP21 Printer
- Hard Carrying Case for BMP21 Printer
- Magnet Only Accessory
- Multi-Functional Tool
Label types (3/8”, 1/2”, and 3/4”):
- Indoor/Outdoor Vinyl Film
- Self-Laminating Vinyl
- Permasleeve Wire Marker Sleeves
- Nylon Cloth Labels
- Polyester Labels
Cobra VnM2- This thermal printer can create labels from 1” to 4”
Cobra VnM2 Label Maker
The VnM Label and Sign Maker is your ideal solution for all your labeling needs. The VnM2 can print any label you want from 6 standard templates. The VnM SignMaker is the most mobile industrial labeling solution available. The VnM2 works with the VnM keyboard so no PC connection is needed. Save time and money by printing custom labels on demand at a fraction the cost.
VnM2 price: $1,295.00
Options:
- Battery pack
- Travel Case
- Cleaning kit
- External roll holder
- Ink rolls
- Several media types, sizes and colors to choose from: vinyl, reflective, fluorescent, glow-in-the-dark, and magnetic
Mobile In-house Sign Shop- Make any sign you want, any size and any color
Mobile In-house Sign Shop
This is your answer for creating a Visual Workplace! This Mobile In-house Sign Shop (MIHSS) has everything you need to make professional looking signs, labels and more at point-of-use to reduce waste in your workplace and create visual standards for everything!
MIHSS price: $3,595.00
The MIHSS system consists of:
- Heavy-duty 5S Crash Cart
- Laptop computer pre-loaded with Gemini CP sign making software
- Hundreds of editable sign templates and thousands of clipart
- Vinyl cutting plotter
- Sign making tools
- Supplies to make 64 signs
- Also included is free, unlimited technical support and training to get you up and running immediately
Make your workplace a visual workplace with these systems!
