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| Sunday, 23 April 2006 |
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Junior Observer |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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How 5S could benefit you Japan, as we all know, is today a very well developed, highly sophisticated and powerful nation. We see only their development, but we do not try to understand how they struggled and strived to develop their motherland in the past. Many years ago, Japan was bombed during the Second World War, and the Japanese had to re-build their country, but they had many obstacles to overcome. They had very low infrastructure facilities and few natural resources such as petroleum. Moreover, they were beset by death and danger because of natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes. After the war, though they lost everything, they had one thing left - will-power. Having courageous people, they succeeded in approaching their motive - development. In today's world, time management has become an essential thing and a popular topic. In our day-to-day activities, to manage our precious time, the Japanese concept of working based on the '5S' theory is an ideal solution. The 5S Process, or simply '5S', is a structured programme to implement workplace organisation, cleanliness, standardisation, and time management. A well-organised workplace or any other place for that matter motivates people. 5S improves safety, work efficiency, improves productivity and establishes a sense of ownership. And it boosts the morale of the workers, promoting a sense of pride in their work and ownership of their responsibilities. It was invented in Japan, and stands for five Japanese words that start with the letter 'S'. Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. An equivalent set of five 'S' words in English are Sort (Tidiness), Set (in place/Stabilise/Orderliness), Shine (Cleanliness), Standardise and Sustain (Discipline). Some do not agree with these English words - they argue that these words have lost the essence of the original Japanese words. Seiri (Sort/Tidiness): Seiri refers to the act of throwing away all unwanted and unrelated materials in the workplace. People involved in Seiri must not feel sorry about having to throw away things. The idea is to ensure that everything left in the workplace is related to work. Even the number of necessary items in the workplace must be kept to its absolute minimum. Because of seiri, simplification of tasks, effective use of space and careful purchase of items follow. Seiton (Stabilise/Orderliness): Seiton is all about efficiency. This step consists of putting everything in an assigned place, so that it can be accessed or retrieved quickly, as well as returned to that same place quickly. If everyone has quick access to an item or material, work flow becomes efficient, and the worker becomes productive. The correct place, position, or holder for every tool, item, or material must be chosen carefully in relation to how the work will be performed, and who will use them. Every single item must be allocated its own place for safekeeping, and each location must be labelled for easy identification. Seiso (Shine/cleanliness): Seiso says that 'everyone is a janitor'. It consists of cleaning up the workplace and giving it a 'shine'. Cleaning must be done by everyone in the organisation, from operators to managers. It would be a good idea to have every area of the workplace assigned to a person or group of persons for cleaning. No area should be left uncleaned. Seiketsu (Standardisation): Seiketsu more or less translates to 'standardised clean-up'. It consists of defining the standards by which personnel must measure and maintain 'cleanliness'. Seiketsu encompasses both personal and environmental cleanliness. Personnel must therefore practise 'seiketsu', starting with their personal tidiness. Visual management is an important ingredient of seiketsu. Colour-coding and standardised colouring of surroundings are used for easier visual identification of anomalies in the surroundings. Personnel are trained to detect abnormalities using their five senses and to correct such abnormalities immediately. Shitsuke (Sustain/Discipline): Shitsuke denotes commitment to maintain orderliness and refers to training of all employees and communication to ensure 5S application. The emphasis of shitsuke is elimination of bad habits and constant practice of good ones. Once true shitsuke is achieved, personnel voluntarily observe cleanliness and orderliness at all times, without having to be reminded by the management. The benefits Safety: a well organised and orderly workplace is a safer workplace. 5S activities remove all clutter, visual indicators alarm people for hazardous situations. Improving production efficiency: 5S supports a smooth production process in various ways. Searching for tools is eliminated, flow principles are applied, tools storage is done where they are needed most. Location indicators visualise how things have been organised and non-conformities are seen at once. Quality improvement: Daily activities like inspection help to keep the production process in the right condition. This way, defects are prevented, because deviations are spotted before they result in defects. Controlling your workplace: 5S helps to control the workplace by: * determining what and where it is needed. * defining the appropriate location for tools and other materials. * maintaining these standards. Many companies already apply 5S. Visitors to these companies are always impressed. And customers are impressed too, so they know they have chosen the right supplier! However, 5S doesn't apply only to workplaces and factories. It's just as good a practice to be applied in your school, home and every sphere of your day-to-day life. Tidier surroundings where there is a place for everything and everything is in its place, will also help you to work smarter and be more productive. If Sri Lanka, as a country adopts these practices, we should also be able to develop our country and stand on our own feet, just like Japan. Sent by H. A. Vijanaka Aravinda, Dummalasuriya.
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