The 5S Lean Guide to Attaining the Principles of Operational Excellence

While trying to implement an operational excellence journey in the business, chaos and unproductivity are your enemies and organization, and efficiency can be allies. If implemented correctly, 5S will lead to: 

• High employee satisfaction
• Increased productivity
• Safety
• Better quality
• Low cost

Take a look at the 5S, the pillars of lean that helps in attaining diligent operational excellence. 

Sort: The main goal of sorting is to eliminate waste and unwanted materials to create free space. Empty the clutter that allows for a free workflow preventing any distraction. Operational excellence consulting firms can help you sort unwanted items and perform lean management to improve their workflow.

Ensure that the things you do not use daily need to be thrown out; leave the only things to help you get the job done. 

Set in Order: Make a habit of setting things so that they can be easy to fetch. All the items should be marked so that anyone who needs it can find them easily. This creates a standardized and consistent way to retrieve the files or materials. There should be a set system to follow on how the materials are processed for easy access. 

Shine: Shine is the most literal pillar of operational excellence consulting from the 5S guide. It means to remove and eliminate the dirt to keep the workplace clean daily. If you want clean, then keep it clean. Two things can happen while implementing shine, your employees will love coming to a clean environment, and because you keep it clean, there are fewer chances of mishaps or breakdowns. Fewer the issues, fewer the injury costs. 

Consistency: Consistency of a system and procedures ensure the performance of the principles daily. This is essentially the process of turning your plans into a daily habit. Ensure that the employees are aware of their responsibilities and make it a habit in their routine. Also, employees should add periodic evaluation to the schedule. 

Sustainability: This is the most challenging step in the 5S lean management. The final pillar in the system where the chief objective is to commit your staff and motivate them to follow each step consistently every day. 

Our lean consultants in India can help you take your business in the right direction. Touch base with us if you are looking for lean management in Sri Lanka.