The 5 S, the five steps of housekeeping, were developed through intensive work in a manufacturing context. Service-oriented companies can easily see similar circumstances in their own 'production lines', whether they come in the form of a request for proposal (RFP), the closing of a financial report, a request for a life insurance policy or a request for legal services by a potential client. If some fact activates the work process in the service company, the conditions that exist in the work process complicate the work unnecessarily (are there too many formats?); they impede progress towards customer satisfaction (does the volume of the contract require the signature of three officials?);they certainly impede the possibility of satisfying the customer (does the company's overhead make it impossible to present special offers for the performance of the work?).
As indicated in Figure 2-3, standardization, the 5 S (housekeeping), and elimination of "muda" are the three pillars of gemba kaizen in the low-cost, common-sense approach to improvement. Kaizen, in any company - be it a manufacturing or service company - must start with three activities: standardization, 5 S and elimination of the "muda".
These activities do not involve new technologies and managerial theories. In fact, words like housekeeping and muda don't appear in management textbooks. Therefore, they do not stimulate the imagination of managers, who are used to being aware of the latest technologies. Those who attend my lectures sometimes wonder why these issues should be brought up. However, once they understand the implications of these three pillars, they are excited by the possibility of the enormous benefits that these activities can bring to the gemba.
A GOOD HOUSEKEEPING IN FIVE STEPS
The five steps of housekeeping, with their Japanese names, are as follows:
- Seiri: differentiate between necessary and unnecessary elements in the gemba and unload the latter Seiton: arrange in an orderly manner all the elements that remain after the seiri Six: keep machines and work environments clean Seiketsu: extend towards oneself the cleaning concept and continually practicing the above three steps Shitsuke: Building self-discipline and forming the habit of engaging in the 5 S's by setting standards.
When introducing housekeeping, Western companies often prefer to use English equivalents of the Japanese 5S, as in a "5S Campaign" or a "5C Campaign."
5 S campaign
- Sort (separate): separate everything unnecessary and eliminate it. Straighten (order): put the essential elements in order, so that they are easily accessible. Scrub (clean): clean everything -tools and workplaces-, removing stains, grime, waste and eradicating sources of dirt Systemize: carry out a routine of cleaning and verification Standardize: standardize the previous four steps to build an endless process that can be improved.
5 C's campaign
- Clear out: determine what is necessary and unnecessary and get rid of the latter Configure: provide a convenient, safe and orderly place for everything and keep everything there Clean and check: monitor and restore the condition of work areas during cleaning Conform: set the standard, train and maintain Custom and practice: develop the habit of maintaining routines and strive for further improvement.
A DETAILED LOOK AT THE FIVE STEPS OF THE 5 S
Seiri (SORT - SEPARATE)
The first step of housekeeping, seiri, includes classifying the gemba items into two categories -necessary and unnecessary- and eliminating or eradicating the gemba from the latter. A cap should be established on the number of items required. In gemba you can find all kinds of objects. A close look reveals that only a small number of these are needed in daily work; many other items will never be used or will only be needed in the distant future. Gemba is full of unused machines, screens, dies and tools, defective products, work in progress, raw materials, supplies and parts, shelves, containers, desks, workbenches, document files, carts, shelves, pallets and other items..A practical and easy method is to remove anything that is not going to be used in the next 30 days.
Often times, seiri begins with a red label campaign. Select an area of the gemba as the place for the seiri. Members of the designated 5 S go gemba with handfuls of red labels and place them on items they consider to be unnecessary. The bigger the labels and the higher their number, the better. When it is unclear whether or not a certain item is needed, a red tag should be placed over it. By the end of the season, the area may be covered in hundreds of red tags, leading to a comparison of a maple grove in autumn.
Sometimes, gemba employees may find red labels on the items they actually need. In order to keep these items, they must demonstrate the need to do so. Otherwise, anything with a red tag should be removed from the gemba. Things that have no obvious future use and that have no intrinsic value are discarded. Things that are not going to be needed in the next 30 days but could be used at some point in the future are taken to their corresponding places (such as the warehouse, in the case of supplies). Work in progress that exceeds the needs of the gemba should be sent to the winery or returned to the process responsible for producing the surplus.
In the seiri process, valuable insights can be gained about the way the company conducts its business. The red label campaign results in a mountain of unnecessary gembutsu, and employees are faced with uncomfortable questions such as, "How much money is 'tied up' in prematurely manufactured products?" People ask themselves how they could have acted so foolishly. At one company, a red label campaign uncovered enough supplies for about 20 years!
Managers and operators alike have to see these quirks in the gemba to be believed. This is a practical way for managers to take a look at the way people work. When finding a lot of supplies, for example, the manager must ask, “What kind of system do we have for ordering from suppliers? What kind of information does our purchasing staff use to place orders? What type of communication is maintained between production scheduling and production? Or, does the purchasing staff simply place orders when they think the time has come?
Managers must be equally rigorous when they observe that work in process has been done far in advance: “Why do our people continue to produce work in process that we don't have an immediate need for? Based on what kind of information do they start production? " This situation indicates fundamental deficiencies in the system, such as the fact of having insufficient control between production and purchases in the gemba. It also reveals insufficient flexibility to cope with changes in production scheduling.
At the end of the red tag campaign, all the managers - including the president and plant manager as well as the gemba administrators - should get together and take a good look at the pile of supplies, work in progress, and other gembutsu and begin to carry out kaizen to correct the system that led to this waste.
The elimination of unnecessary items through the red label campaign also leaves free space, which increases the flexibility in the use of the workspace, because once the unnecessary items are discarded, only what is needed remains. At this stage, the maximum number of items that should remain in the gemba must be determined: parts and supplies, work in progress, etc.
Seiri, can also apply to people who work offices. For example, or a typical desk has two or more drawers. Items are often placed in these drawers indiscriminately; In a single drawer, side by side, you can find not pencils, pens, erasers, papers, rubber bands, business cards and scissors, but also toothbrushes, sweets, perfumes, aspirin, coins, matches, cigarettes, costume jewelry, tape and other objects. First, these items must be classified according to their use. In a desk with only two drawers, office supplies and personal items should each occupy one drawer.
The maximum number of each item is determined below. For example, suppose we decide to place only two pencils, a pen, an eraser, a pad of paper, and so on in the drawers… All items that exceed the maximum number are discarded, that is, they are removed from the drawer and they are taken to the storage area for office supplies in a corner of the office. This storage area is sometimes called a recycling bank. When the implements in the drawers run out, the employee goes to the recycling bank to replace them. In turn, the employee in charge of the bank observes the inventory and, when it falls to the minimum established, orders more implements.
By reducing the supplies in our office drawers to one, we eliminate the need to rummage through the collection of pencils, papers, and cosmetics to arrive at a desired item. This process develops self-discipline, which likewise improves record-keeping and increases the ability of employees to work effectively.
SEITON (STRAIGHTEN - SORT)
Once the seiri has been performed, all unnecessary items have been removed from the gemba, leaving only the minimum number necessary. But these items that are needed, such as tools, can be items of no use if they are stored too far from the workstation or in a place where they cannot be found. This brings us to the next 5S stage, Seiton.
Seiton means sorting items by use and arranging them accordingly to minimize search time and effort. To do this, each item must have a designated location, name, and volume. Not only the location, but also the maximum number of items allowed in the gemba should be specified. For example, work in process cannot be produced in unlimited quantities. Rather, the floor space for the boxes containing the work should be clearly delineated (by painting a rectangle to demarcate the Area, etc.) and a maximum tolerable number of boxes should be indicated, eg five. A heavy object can be hung from the ceiling above the boxes to prevent more than five stacking. When the maximum allowable inventory level has been reached,production must be stopped in the previous process; there is no need to produce more than the next process can consume. In this way, seiton guarantees the flow of a minimum number of items in the gemba from station to station, on a “first in, first out” basis.
Taiichi Ohno was once invited to visit another company's assembly line. When asked to comment on the line, he said, “You guys have too much work in progress that's on hold, creating a sideline. Leave a minimum number on the side line and return all excess items to the previous process. A mountain of pressed sheet metal had to be returned to the press shop, where workers had to carry out their work surrounded by pressed sheet metal, creating an atmosphere similar to a prison. Ohno said, "This is the best way to show people that the harder they work, the more money the company loses."
Items left in gemba should be placed in the designated area. In other words, each item must have its own location and, vice versa, each space in the gemba must also have its designated destination. Each wall should be numbered, using names like Wall A-1 and Wall B-2. The placement of items such as supplies, work in process, water intakes, tools, screens, molds, and carts should be marked by their location or with special markings. Markings on the floor or workstations indicate the appropriate locations for work in progress, tools, etc. By painting a rectangle on the floor to outline the area for work-in-progress boxes, for example, you create enough space to store the maximum volume of items. At the same time,Any deviation from the number of boxes indicated is instantly apparent. (Readers familiar with the just-in-time system will recognize that this is the first stage of introducing a "pull" production system.) The tools should be placed within easy reach and should be easy to pick up and return to place. Their silhouettes could be painted onto the surface where they are supposed to be stored. This makes it easy to know when they are in use.Their silhouettes could be painted onto the surface where they are supposed to be stored. This makes it easy to know when they are in use.Their silhouettes could be painted onto the surface where they are supposed to be stored. This makes it easy to know when they are in use.
The passage should also be clearly marked with paint. Like other spaces designated for supplies and work in progress, the passageway is destined for transit: Nothing should be left there. The passageway must be completely clear of wood to highlight any objects left there, allowing supervisors to instantly observe the abnormality and take corrective action.
SEISO (SCRUB - CLEAN)
Seiso means cleaning the work environment, including machines and tools, as well as floors, walls, and other areas of the workplace. There is also an axiom that says: Seiso means to verify. An operator cleaning a machine can discover many malfunctions. When the machine is covered in oil, soot and dust, it is difficult to identify any problems that may be forming. However, while cleaning the machine we can easily detect an oil leak, a crack that is forming in the cover, or loose nuts and bolts. Once these problems are recognized, then they can be easily solved.
It is said that most machine breakdowns begin with vibrations (due to loose nuts and bolts), with the introduction of foreign particles such as dust (as a result of cracks in the ceiling, for example), or with a lubrication or inadequate lubrication. For this reason, seiso is a great learning experience for operators, as they can make many useful discoveries while cleaning machines.
At one time I participated in six activities at the plant of a wood tile manufacturer, with many wood-working machines, such as electric saws. All senior management, including the president, joined in six activities with the operators. (This was said to be the first time employees had seen the president appear in a gemba in overalls and with a broom.) As they cleaned the outside of the machines, as well as the walls and ceiling beams, they said over and over again: "We can't believe it!" Thick layers of wood chips and dust adhered to the walls. As he removed the debris, the CFO discovered bare electrical wires running along the walls. For a long time the vinyl covering had been deteriorated.He was amazed at the fact that there had never been a fire at the plant.
SElKETSU (SYSTEMATIZE - SYSTEMATIZE)
Seiketsu means maintaining a person's cleanliness by wearing appropriate work clothes, safety glasses, gloves, and shoes, as well as maintaining a healthy and clean work environment. Another interpretation of seiketsu is to continue working on seiri, seiton, and seiso continuously and every day.
For example, it is easy to run the seiri process once and make some improvements, but without an effort to continue such activities, very soon the situation will return to what it was originally. It's easy to do kaizen on the gemba just once. But performing kaizen continuously, day after day, is an entirely different matter. Management must design systems and procedures that ensure the continuity of seiri, seiton, and seiso. The commitment, support and involvement of the management in the 5 S becomes essential. For example, managers must determine how often seiri, seiton, and seiso should take place, and which people should be involved. This should be part of the annual planning program.
SHITSUKE (STANDARDIZE - STANDARDIZE)
Shitsuke means self-discipline. People who continually practice seiri, seiton, seiso, and seiketsu - people who have gotten into the habit of making these activities their daily work - acquire self-discipline.
The 5 S can be considered as a philosophy, a way of life in our daily work. The essence of 5 S is to follow what has been agreed. They are arranged begins by discarding what we do not need in the gemba (seiri) and then all unnecessary items are arranged in the gemba in an orderly way (seiton). Subsequently, a clean environment should be maintained, so that abnormalities can be easily identified (seiso), and the previous three steps should be maintained on a continuous basis (shitsuke). Employees must abide by established and agreed-upon standards at every step, and by the time they reach shitsuke they will have the discipline to follow such standards in their daily work. This is the reason why the last step of the 5 S is called self-discipline.
At this final stage, management should have set the standards for each step of the 5 S, and ensure that the gemba is following those standards. The standards should encompass ways to assess progress in each of the five steps.
A gemba manager for a chemical company once told me that when he asked his gemba operators to evaluate key process parameters and plot them on the diagram and / or control chart, the operators did not take it seriously. this task: the figures always remained in the center of the control chart. However, once they had successfully implemented the 5 S and everyone started to acquire self-discipline, the manager found that the attitude of the operators had changed: the data that appeared in the control chart began to reveal deviations.
There are five ways to assess the level of the 5 S at each stage:
- Self-assessment Assessment by an expert consultant Assessment by a superior A combination of the above three points Competition between gemba groups
The plant manager must organize a contest among the workers; The latter can then review the 5 S status for each gemba and select the best and worst gemba. The best gemba can receive an award or other recognition, while the worst is presented with a broom and a bucket. This last group will have an incentive to do a better job, so that another group will be the one to receive these items the next time.
In order to review the progress made, plant managers and gemba administrators should conduct an evaluation on a regular basis. Only after the job is approved in the first step, workers can proceed to the next step. This process provides a feeling of accomplishment.
Once the six is complete, management's attention must turn to a new horizon, specifically, maintaining and ensuring momentum and enthusiasm. After having worked hard on seiri, seiton and seiso, and having seen the improvements in the gemba, the employees begin to think: "What we have achieved!" and they lower themselves and take it easy for a bit (or worse, they suspend their efforts altogether). The powerful forces at play in the gemba try to put pressure on conditions to revert to their former state, making it imperative that management build a system that ensures the continuity of 5 S activities.
INTRODUCTION OF THE 5 S
Kaizen values both the process and the result. In order to get people involved in continuing their kaizen effort, management must carefully plan, organize, and execute the project. Managers often want to see the result too much and overlook a vital process. The 5 S "are not a fad" or the "program" of the month, but a behavior of daily life. Therefore, every kaizen project needs to include follow-up steps.
As kaizen copes with people's resistance to change, the first step is to mentally prepare employees to accept the 5 S before starting the campaign. As a preliminary to the 5S effort, take time to discuss the underlying 5S philosophy and its benefits:
- Creating clean, hygienic, pleasant and safe work environments Revitalizing the gemba and substantially improving the mood, morale and motivation of employees Eliminating various kinds of shedding by minimizing the need to search for tools, making easier the operators work, reducing physically strenuous work and freeing up space.
Management must also understand the many benefits that 5 S's in the gemba have for the entire company; among these we mention:
- Helps employees acquire self-discipline; self-disciplined employees are always engaging in the 5 S, take a real interest in kaizen, and can be trusted to adhere to the standards. Highlight the many types of change in the gemba; Recognizing problems is the first step in eliminating waste Removing molt in the gemba intensifies the 5 S process. It signals abnormalities such as defective products and excess inventory Reduces unnecessary movement such as walking and work and necessarily exhausting.It allows you to visually identify yourself and, therefore, to solve problems related to material shortages, unbalanced lines, machine breakdowns and delivery delays.It solves major logistical problems in the gemba, in a way simple.Makes quality issues visible Improves work efficiency and lowers operating costs Reduce industrial accidents by eliminating slippery and oily floors, dirty environments, inappropriate clothing and unsafe operations.
Seiso, in particular, increases the reliability of machines, thus freeing up maintenance engineers to work on machines that are prone to sudden breakdowns. As a result, engineers can focus on overriding primary issues, such as preventative maintenance, predictive maintenance, and building maintenance-free teams, in collaboration with design departments.
Having understood these benefits and making sure that employees have understood them as well, management can move forward with the kaizen project.
Book Title: How to Implement Kaizen in the Workplace (Gemba)
Author: Masaaki Imai
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Interamericana de España, SAU
Translation: Gloria Rosas Lopetegüi
Edition: 1st
Edition year: 1998
Number of pages: 314
PVP: 3,500.- ptas.
ISBN: 958-600-798-7
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