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Putting 5S to Work
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197 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
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April 10, 2022
When I was first exposed to lean in the early 2000s most every book was about the tools. VSM, Flow, Pull, JIT, etc. Fast forward 20 years and the books are now geared towards leadership and focus on transformations or leading lean. Most of these books are not geared towards the practitioner but rather management and c-suite individuals who may or may not read them. We seem to have forgotten that lean is a balance between leadership and ability.
I have become a big fan of many of the texts that originated in Japan in the late '70s and early '80s. Most of these texts are simple reads with lots of pictures and diagrams and most of them are out of print. The tools were created out of need, not to copy someone and they take on one specific factor of process improvement, and walk you through how the author/sensei intended for it to be used.
Such as the case with Hirano's book Putting 5S to Work. I was taught that 5S was a foundation to all other change and that the 5S's, sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain we're all to be implemented as a one and done and then you sustain. But frankly, I saw it simply as a cleaning method. Sure it has value, but I was skeptical about why it was so fundamental to all other improvements.
Putting 5s to Work is broken into three steps that have completely different focuses. The first step is the traditional 5S that I was taught and unfortunately have taught others for many years. The focus is on cleaning and organizing the workspace. Hirano clarifies that this Step of 5s is the countermeasure to a need. Most organizations I have worked with feel this is the extent of 5s and if the book stopped here I wouldn't be impressed, but it doesn't. It includes two additional steps that I never considered part of 5s. In every step, Hirano is very high on using radar charts as his visual performance indicators. He gives examples throughout and I prefer them to a simple scorecard that I have used for years.
Step 2 looks at removing additional waste by integrating visual reordering of inventory and visual control on the floor. This means using 5S to control the flow of material not only in and out of the work center but in and out of the plant - MIND BLOWN. Control is the key word and it is the gateway to a Just In Time inventory system. Basically, in a nutshell, kanban, the key to early Toyota success and the topic of many JIT books, is actually a countermeasure stemming from 5s inventory control.
Step 2 visual shop floor control goes beyond just finding a place for everything and now creating a visual home, the objective of the visual control is to help establish flow and hijunka. Again these are topics that today are not included as part of 5s training. If you have a mixed flow going through the line you have your supply of parts coming in in the same order. Tools, like parts, are not all needed at the same time and should be visually controlled to be delivered as needed at the work center.
Step 2 is where he introduces inspection through cleaning by having cleaning checklists and actions that are captured. It's clear this is the very start of TPM activity and shows how TPM and 5S are so closely linked. Throughout Step 2 the author discusses accountability by creating visual charts of who is responsible and Step 2 standardization focuses on the systematic approach for visually maintaining.
The author includes an interesting quote "constructive criticism is really a sign of commitment basically a boss who cannot criticize constructively is a failure as a manager"! The author goes on to say that "the best way to improve is to take the criticism directed at you seriously."
Finally, Step 3 assumes that you have mastered Steps 1 & 2 and created visual control and management throughout the plant. Step 3 enters into preventative 5S. Preventative 5s gets into the root cause of why things are showing up and how that can be eliminated. One of the major root causes that comes up frequently in Step 3, is the waste of overproduction. Although the author does not get into Takt Time, he does discuss leveling production and implementing flow lines as root cause countermeasures. Again, these are not commonly associated with 5s activities. Switch from remedial organizing to preventative organizing and make sure the discipline is being maintained by frequent visits from all levels of management, a daily layered process audit where even the factory manager audits at least once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Another concept that Step 3 approaches are the need to not have to return a tool. Implementing tool balancers that auto retracts or by using hardware that can be tightened by hand without the need of a tool. 5s now begins to facilitate SMED improvements! Step 3 cleaning looks at how to prevent dirt rather than cleaning it. Getting to the source, Hirano goes as far as suggesting that mops could be applied to the back of forklifts and carts so that if they track debris from other areas it's immediately cleaned before they enter another area. Phase 3 preventative sustaining gets even tougher on excess material and equipment in the work center by taking the first three s's to the next level. Step 3 sustaining is now where the systematized 5S is ingrained through habitual criticism and creating of the rules and workplace environment. Here we begin building inroads to Poke Yoke!
Some recommendations the author makes to keep 5S fresh is to have 5S months where it's promoted, 5S patrols, 5S contests, and a 5S newsletter.
I have become a big fan of many of the texts that originated in Japan in the late '70s and early '80s. Most of these texts are simple reads with lots of pictures and diagrams and most of them are out of print. The tools were created out of need, not to copy someone and they take on one specific factor of process improvement, and walk you through how the author/sensei intended for it to be used.
Such as the case with Hirano's book Putting 5S to Work. I was taught that 5S was a foundation to all other change and that the 5S's, sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain we're all to be implemented as a one and done and then you sustain. But frankly, I saw it simply as a cleaning method. Sure it has value, but I was skeptical about why it was so fundamental to all other improvements.
Putting 5s to Work is broken into three steps that have completely different focuses. The first step is the traditional 5S that I was taught and unfortunately have taught others for many years. The focus is on cleaning and organizing the workspace. Hirano clarifies that this Step of 5s is the countermeasure to a need. Most organizations I have worked with feel this is the extent of 5s and if the book stopped here I wouldn't be impressed, but it doesn't. It includes two additional steps that I never considered part of 5s. In every step, Hirano is very high on using radar charts as his visual performance indicators. He gives examples throughout and I prefer them to a simple scorecard that I have used for years.
Step 2 looks at removing additional waste by integrating visual reordering of inventory and visual control on the floor. This means using 5S to control the flow of material not only in and out of the work center but in and out of the plant - MIND BLOWN. Control is the key word and it is the gateway to a Just In Time inventory system. Basically, in a nutshell, kanban, the key to early Toyota success and the topic of many JIT books, is actually a countermeasure stemming from 5s inventory control.
Step 2 visual shop floor control goes beyond just finding a place for everything and now creating a visual home, the objective of the visual control is to help establish flow and hijunka. Again these are topics that today are not included as part of 5s training. If you have a mixed flow going through the line you have your supply of parts coming in in the same order. Tools, like parts, are not all needed at the same time and should be visually controlled to be delivered as needed at the work center.
Step 2 is where he introduces inspection through cleaning by having cleaning checklists and actions that are captured. It's clear this is the very start of TPM activity and shows how TPM and 5S are so closely linked. Throughout Step 2 the author discusses accountability by creating visual charts of who is responsible and Step 2 standardization focuses on the systematic approach for visually maintaining.
The author includes an interesting quote "constructive criticism is really a sign of commitment basically a boss who cannot criticize constructively is a failure as a manager"! The author goes on to say that "the best way to improve is to take the criticism directed at you seriously."
Finally, Step 3 assumes that you have mastered Steps 1 & 2 and created visual control and management throughout the plant. Step 3 enters into preventative 5S. Preventative 5s gets into the root cause of why things are showing up and how that can be eliminated. One of the major root causes that comes up frequently in Step 3, is the waste of overproduction. Although the author does not get into Takt Time, he does discuss leveling production and implementing flow lines as root cause countermeasures. Again, these are not commonly associated with 5s activities. Switch from remedial organizing to preventative organizing and make sure the discipline is being maintained by frequent visits from all levels of management, a daily layered process audit where even the factory manager audits at least once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
Another concept that Step 3 approaches are the need to not have to return a tool. Implementing tool balancers that auto retracts or by using hardware that can be tightened by hand without the need of a tool. 5s now begins to facilitate SMED improvements! Step 3 cleaning looks at how to prevent dirt rather than cleaning it. Getting to the source, Hirano goes as far as suggesting that mops could be applied to the back of forklifts and carts so that if they track debris from other areas it's immediately cleaned before they enter another area. Phase 3 preventative sustaining gets even tougher on excess material and equipment in the work center by taking the first three s's to the next level. Step 3 sustaining is now where the systematized 5S is ingrained through habitual criticism and creating of the rules and workplace environment. Here we begin building inroads to Poke Yoke!
Some recommendations the author makes to keep 5S fresh is to have 5S months where it's promoted, 5S patrols, 5S contests, and a 5S newsletter.
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