A. Background:
The Five S, a Japanese concept, is one of the TQM tools for improving human performance at work place. It is a systematic approach for creating simplified work environment by organizing work place, keeping it clean and standardizing work procedure. It improves the housekeeping and achieves high productivity by reducing waste and non-value activities.
B. 5-S Principles
The five principles are given as under:
1. Seiri (tidiness)
2. Seiton (orderliness)
3. Seiso (cleanliness)
4. Seiketsu (standardized clean up)
5. Shitsuke (discipline)
Sort – (Seiri) It focuses on eliminating unnecessary items from the workplace. The occasionally used items are moved to a more organized storage location outside of the work area while unneeded items are discarded. Sorting is an excellent way to free up valuable floor space by eliminating unused articles.
Set In Order (Seiton) is the second of the 5Ss and focuses on efficient and effective storage methods. Keeping the things according to their requirement and also in orderly way will reduce the retrieval time.
Shine: (Seiso) : Once we eliminate the unnecessary and identified and located the necessary items at right place, the next step is to thoroughly clean the work area. Daily follow-up cleaning is necessary in order to sustain this improvement. Cleaned work environment will generate high morale of employees and improve efficiency.
Standardize: (Seiketsu) : Once the first three 5S’s have been implemented, we may concentrate on standardizing best practice in our work area. It will help us in reducing errors. We may collectively participate in the development of such standards.
Sustain: (Shitsuke) : Human nature is to resist change and return to the status quo and the comfort zone of the "old way" of doing things. Sustain focuses on defining a new status quo and maintain it on continuous basis.
C. Need:
Once fully implemented, the 5S process can increase morale of the employees, create positive impressions on customers, and increase organizational efficiency. Not only will employees feel better about where they work, the effect on continuous improvement can lead to less waste, promotion of team spirit and better service quality. The principles provide a methodology for organizing, cleaning, developing, and sustaining a productive work environment.
Sometimes, it has been noticed that the papers are not filed in the relevant file. The records are also not maintained properly. Lack of orderliness and tidiness in maintaining the records, sometimes, result in waste of manpower and loss of working hours in searching the relevant paper/ files, in case of need. It is also imperative to utilize the space at work place, economically. We can free storage space by weeding out unnecessary and duplicate papers from the files. Non-current permanent valuable records, closed more than 12 years old can be transferred to Archives. If we implement the Five S principles, a lot of man hours can be saved. It will result in financial benefit to the organization. It is, therefore, necessary to implement the Five S framework.
D. Implementation of Five-S :
It requires some change in attitude/ behavioral pattern, team spirit, constant effort, determination and discipline to organize work place and keep it neat and clean.
1. A team consisting of one officer and one clerk may be constituted in each section to implement the Five S principles. Sectional Head are required to spare half day on last Friday of every month to ensure that the Five S principles are implemented.
a. Weeding out of irrelevant papers may be done from the files
b. Necessary files and relevant papers are arranged in proper order so that they can be easily picked up for use, as and when required.
c. It is to be ensured that work place is clean and there is no dust on floor, files, almirahs, desks, workstations, etc.
d. High standard of housekeeping is maintained at all the times.
Dr Pramod Kumar
16-3-2011
Email: drpk1956@gmail.com
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