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Advantages of 5 'S' Lean Manufacturing

Guest post by: Devang Jhaveri

Article Overview: The 5 S seem so obviously important, many people make the mistake of concentrating on the individual terms as though these were some kind of good luck charm. But it must be remembered that the 5S are actually a means to achieving specific ends. And the 5S have to be implemented with these objectives in mind. After implementing 5 "S" everything has been changed in Japan for example people have abandoned the old metallic grays that do not show the dirt & adopted new spotless while. White is all over the Japanese factories today.

Advantages of 5 'S' Lean Manufacturing

It is impossible to mount a 5S campaign with just one or two people. You need to have everyone actively involved. Each of the individual things that needs to be done is simple enough in it self. The difficult thing is to keep doing them. This requires determination, persistence and co-operation. Every part of 5S process is important. Every step has the potential for opening our eyes. The 5S are the best way there is to eliminate waste. That is why the 5S have been adopted in the electronics and precision machinery industries at the technological forefront. That is why there is a new 5S awareness emerging.



Following are some key advantages of 5 S Lean Manufacturing:- The Transformed Work Place

After implementing 5 "S" everything has been changed in Japan for example people have abandoned the old metallic grays that do not show the dirt & adopted new spotless while. White is all over the Japanese factories today. On the machine, interiors, buildings & even the workers uniforms "white" became the way of cleaning & competitive. As despite of white everywhere no significant dirt on machine, building & on worker's uniform seems on it. This is what Japanese has achieved with 5 "S".

Safety and 5S

Are you wearing your hardhat and safety shoes? Are you being careful when you transport things? Are the paths clear? It is these little things these seemingly insignificant things that make the difference. That is why people have emphasised the importance of an orderly work place. In addition to these things the 5S are also important to personal safety and health for everyone in preventing fires and slippage due to oil leaks, in preventing pollution from filings and fumes, and in preventing the other things that are so dangerous to human health and safety.

Efficiency and 5 S

The famous chef, the skilled carpenter, the great painter they all take care of their tools. There are no rusted knives, no saws with teeth missing and no matted brushes. They use good tools and they take good care of them. They do not waste a lot of time when they are working. They know that the time spent taking care of their tools is not time wasted that safe far more time because their tools are in good condition than they spend making sure that they are that way. Sorting out and cleanness might not make much of a difference when you have all the time in world but it does count when you are working to a tight schedule. Do not spend too much time on the 5S activities. Set aside a short period of time when everyone will concentrate on 5S. One day it might be to make sure everything is in place. Another day it might be to make sure there are no oil leaks. It can be anything, but it is important that everybody be involved in this for a short time.

For example some companies have instituted 3 minute 5 S periods. Everybody knows what he or she is supposed to do, and they know that they only have 3 minutes to do it. And they are all working on the 5S at the same time. You will be surprised at how much can be accomplished if your people have had practice in the 5 S and they know what they are supposed to do. This is also a useful way to mark the beginning or end of the workday. It is only 3 minutes, but it means vastly better efficiency in long run.

Quality and 5S

Modern electronics and other machinery demand very high level of precision and cleanliness. Just a spot of grime can cause a computer to crash. Filings and burrs can mean that things do not fit tightly. Dropping things on an assembly line can mean that the wrong parts are put together or that the product is shipped to the wrong client. There are all kinds of major problems caused by seemingly minor 5 S lapses. It is clear that the 5S are prerequisite to quality and this cannot be overemphasized.

Breakdown and 5S

There is a common Monday morning syndrome at some manufacturing plants. This is where sludge clogged oil drains overflow on Monday morning where the machinery seems to stick on Monday morning and where hydraulic and pneumatic equipment pressure levels are low on Monday morning. All of these things happen because the build-up of grime over the course of the workweek has had time to harden and to settle in to places where it should not be. All of these things happen because the company does not practice 5S practice during week.

It is important to start by doing. No matter how well you understand the theory, the theory does not produce results. Only doing does. And this doing has the power to change the way people look at things. It has the power to transform the people. Because the 5 S seem so obviously important, many people make the mistake of concentrating on the individual terms as though these were some kind of good luck charm. But it must be remembered that the 5S are actually a means to achieving specific ends. And the 5S have to be implemented with these objectives in mind.

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Article Tags: 5 S, 5 S activities, 5 S techniques, 5s lean manufacturing, 5S process5s, advantages 5s, factories, japan, lean manufacturing, safety 5 S



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