5S-5 Challenges: Making Lean's 1st Improvement Last

​Nearly every company on the lean journey has taken its first steps into the process by way of "5S", otherwise know as Workplace Organization. The practice derives its name from five Japanese words, each representing one of five steps. Roughly translated to English these steps are:

1. Seiri – “sort out”, remove unneeded items
2. Seiton – “set locations”, give specific homes to needed items
3. Seiso – “straighten, sweep, scrub”, clean daily to prevent clutter
4. Seiketsu – “standardize”, establish company standards for the process
5. Shitsuke – “sustain”, protect the gains made by 5S

The stability and visual standardization provided by 5S is an essential foundation to every other lean practice and is visually attractive to management. Yet the process which seems self-evident often falls short of expectations. Most companies attempting 5S will relate stories of back-sliding, lack of participation and occasionally even out-right rebellion. This DVD, produced by GBMP deals with the “behind the scenes” supporting activities that are crucial to sustaining 5S as an on-going and fully integrated company-wide process.

“5S – 5 Challenges” identifies keys to success that are not explained in those familiar before-and-after pictures often used to describe the 5S process. In the words of Bruce Hamilton, “we’ve figuratively seen the before-and-after photos of the 98-pound weakling who transforms into Mr. Universe, but we don’t see the key steps which effected that change.” This 30-minute DVD explains and demonstrates those steps.

Through a series of common, daily events and settings, Bruce and the GBMP staff identify the five challenges that every manager and employee will face in office, clinic, showroom, factory or warehouse when they implement the 5S process. Humorous scenarios will have viewers laughing at themselves while creating critical signposts to illuminate and lead the 5S effort in a direction that builds company-wide buy-in and sustainability.