1. Defining 5S
5S is known to be a system used in the organization of any workplace to archive effectiveness and efficiency. There are five different phases in the 5S system which includes:
Sorting
This step involves sorting what is needed to undertake or complete any task and separating it from whatever else is not needed and may be on the way. This commonly implemented through focusing on one area in the workplace. Any item not needed is cleared out to be disposed or even recycled. In situations where some items’ use is not very clear, an expert in the area is always consulted (Miina 2012). If still not sure on the decision of the same items, a place is segregated for the particular items. If not used for some time, the items are disposed of appropriately. Only what is needed is left in the workplace for a specific use.
Straighten/ setting in order
After sorting the workplace items, everything left for use is set in order, with everything designated in its place and every place established for a particular item. Creativity is useful in the
is phase with different methods employed. Some common strategies used include using labeled bins to indicate the position of every item, marking specific areas on the floor to place items like furniture, creating a shadow box to help in matching specific items to their location, or placing one item outside a box that contains similar items to enable anyone match the items location (Miina 2012).
Shine/ Systemic cleaning
This phase involves cleaning every item used in the workplace and ensuring that the workplace is always clean before and after any work operation. All horizontal surfaces are expected to be wiped down for grime and dust. In some situations, everyday cleaning is encouraged as it ensures cleanliness and avoids an industrious cleaning operation when things are left without being cleaned for a long time. In an environment that is easily messed up, it is advisable to identify the source of the dirt and develop a lasting solution to it especially if it is machine (Parkes 2015). This will result in aiding the Total Preventative Maintenance program in any workplace.
Standardizing
A checklist or even a to-do list is created in this phase to describe everything that should be undertaken on a regular basis to ensure everything is retained in the same way (Parkes 2015). Visual aids can be used to show how a particular area should look like at every moment to act as a reminder (Parkes 2015).
Sustaining
With all the attempts being made, a regular 5S audit is needed to ensure that the gain is sustained at any other moment. Different management members are expected in the 5S audit to ensure commitment to the whole program (Parkes 2015).
Importance of 5S system
The system can empower employees in controlling their work area and ensuring that they have a conducive working environment at all time. The system also ensures high safety measures are undertaken at the workplace (Miina 2012). Through a successful 5S implementation, employees and team member area able to gain some discipline in their operation and also act as a gateway of implementing other productive systems and programs like the Kaizen program. The system works best with the grass root level management as they are involved with the most operations involving different working tools (Mastroianni & Abdelhamid 2003).
Workshop Audit
2. 5S Roll Out Plan
The main objective of undertaking the 5S plan rollout in the welding workshop and material store in DKIT is to create and orderly and clean environment where everything is in its place, and there is a place for everything. Implementing the 5S will also present an opportunity to undertaken a lean transformation within the workshop and stores through exposing some visible waste examples that establish some discipline in pursuing a continuous improvement program. A visual workplace will be created after fully implementing the 5S in its different phases. In the workshop, the waste found within the various useful items have portrayed that the workshop and stores users only lacked the needed knowledge to undertake their different work in an effective and efficient way. This later resulted in wastage of valuable time within the workshop and the store, when students and workshop operators were searching, retrieving, and waiting for the needed tools and items. Though undertaking a successful 5S, a visual workplace will eliminate questions, time and motion wastage while generating improvements in quality, productivity, safety, and users’ satisfaction (Chapman 2005).
Sort
All the non-essential items were eliminated from the workshop and the store through properly disposing them as per every waste requirement. Some items whose use could not be ascertained at the moment were red tagged and placed in a big red tagged box at the corner of the workshop for one week. Later items that were not reclaimed or used within that period were not demanded by any workshop or store user were then disposed as waste. Disposed items were either donated, trashed or recycled. Using the red tag criteria was quite instrumental in avoiding confusion among the workshop users while it reduced wasted effort. The criteria used in red tagging the different items was through asking the following questions:
• What is the item?
• When was the item last used?
• Was the item critical or even unique for a certain use or department?
• What was the minimum amount of item needed to be kept in the inventory to keep with the workshop and store schedule?
Shine
This phase has three core activities that included getting ensuring a clean workplace, maintaining the clean appearance, and undertaking preventive measures to ensure the workplace is clean.
Set in order
The focus of this phase is to organize and label all the different equipment in the welding workshop and the material store.
Planning Phase Job Aid
Implementation Phase Job Aid
Standardize
The aim of this phase was to create the best practices of getting all the workshop and store users to establishes the best practices in the same way.
Sustain
This phase deals with sustaining the momentum initiated in the initial project or event.
Reference List
Chapman, C.D., 2005. Clean house with lean 5S. Quality progress, 38(6), pp.27-32.
Mastroianni, R. and Abdelhamid, T., 2003, July. The challenge: The impetus for change to lean project delivery. In Proceedings of the 11th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction, Blacksburg, Va (pp. 22-24).
Miina, A., 2012. Lean Problem: Why Conpanies Fail with Lean Implementation?. Management, 2(5), pp.232-250.
Parkes, A., 2015. Lean Management Genesis. Management, 19(2).
