5s Examples: Real Factory Transformations
- Russell Watkins
- Nov 8, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 3
5S ACTIVITY
1.Sort 2.Straighten 3.Shine 4.Standardise 5.Sustain
In this blog we cover:
Watch - 5s Checksheet Video
What is 5s?
5s is an interesting and often misunderstood building block of lean. Understanding ranges from the ill-informed:“it’s a fancy way of saying - clean up and do your housekeeping”
to the deeper understanding of:“it’s how we organise the workplace to support safety, quality cost and delivery”, all the way to the philosophical:“it’s a way to bring managers closer to the shopfloor and build relationships”
5s is a way for people to organise their working area to allow them to focus on making a good quality part, safely and on time. It also helps Team Leaders and Supervisors quickly see & sort out problems.
The 5s's are:
SORT
STRAIGHTEN
SHINE
STANDARDISE
SUSTAIN
Each word is explained in depth below. There are variations of these words. “Straighten” is sometimes “Set” for example. They all mean broadly the same thing. There is rarely a need to learn the Japanese S words, although Toyota’s limit of 4s’s rather than 5 does speak to a deeper point about self-discipline (shitsuke) being the result of a habit repeated.
5s Examples: Real Factory Transformations
This blog is about getting started with 5s in a poor, underperforming area. We could write a thousand words alone on what the 5s are and why you should bother. There’s plenty of information out there about that, but this blog is about getting started. How to get from chaos to organised. As shown in these examples of implementing 5s before and after in manufacturing.
5s Activity before and after in a job shop :
5s Activity before and after in a large factory in the construction industry :
In other words, work in areas where your operator can’t focus because they’re hunting for stuff, compensating for bad tools, machines and materials. Areas where your Team Leader can’t see when things are starting to go wrong – if nothing is ‘normal’ (5s straighten), everything is abnormal!
Why does 5s matter in manufacturing?
At Sempai, our practical approach sees 5s as a foundation block. Imagine you buy some land to build a house. First things first, you need to put a foundation in so that your dream home doesn’t subside when the bad weather comes. 5s acts the same way in a factory. It’s always raining somewhere on the shopfloor, a good 5s condition helps you work well IN SPITE OF that rain. In simple terms you get 2 things from strong 5s:
1) It lets you focus on making a good quality part, safely and on time.
2) It helps your leaders quickly see & sort out problems (e.g. machine working badly, slips or trips, missing/wrong tools & material)
So, before we break down the steps in a 3s blitz lets define what the 5s are:
SORT - Separate what you need to do the job from what you don’t need
STRAIGHTEN - A place for everything, everything in its place
SHINE - Daily cleaning is inspection, use your eyes to check the machine
STANDARDISE - Make it easy to follow the 5S standard
SUSTAIN - Self-discipline
A quick start to implementing 5s: With a 3s activity
In an ideal world you improve the 5s condition of each area little by little. Getting rid of unneeded tools and parts, giving things a home, red tagging as you go to identify and fix:
Anything that’ll affect safety - e.g. trailing cables, fluid leaks, sharp edges
Anything that’ll affect quality - e.g. tools stored on top of each other, parts mixed
Anything broken – e.g. jig missing a clamp, broken tool
Anything homeless – if it hasn’t got a home, you can’t visually check it’s there BEFORE you need it
This little by little approach is the best way to go but, sometimes, an area is such a risk to Safety and/or Quality, and in such a bad way, that it needs a blitz to get to a basic decent standard. Then you incrementally improve it afterwards. This is called a 3s blitz. The 3s relates to the first 3S’s – sort, straighten and shine – although not done in that order.
If you'd like to learn EXACTLY how to do a 3s blitz with a fully engaged team, take our 5s course.
Most guides tell you what to do. Our 5S course shows you EXACTLY how to lead a 3S blitz to achieve sustainable results, broken down into precise, actionable steps:
Pre-activity: Everything you need to set the stage for success, from aligning leadership to identifying the right area owner.
On the Day: Step-by-step execution, including team roles, common roadblocks, and the nuances of effective red-tagging and sorting.
Post-activity: The critical follow-through to ensure improvements stick and don't revert.
Along with videos, photos, and downloadable templates, this course gives you a step-by-step 'How to Guide' that makes the difference between a one-off tidy-up and genuine, lasting 5S transformation.
Why this approach works
The overriding point is that there has to be a reason to do a 3s blitz. That reason should come from the area owner/Team Leader. In the same way that Kanban is a pull system, rather than push, we want our lean approach to be pulled by people in the factory
What’s in it for them?
What kind of pain are they experiencing that can be eased by a better organised work area?
These are the key questions. Getting our hands into processes on 4 continents tells us that a 3s blitz done TO an area rarely sticks.
What to do - Pre-activity
Before diving into a 3S Blitz, it's crucial to define the area, align with the Team Leader, and ensure everyone involved understands the objective. The success of the activity hinges on having the right people, a manageably sized area, and proper planning.
Setting the foundation
A clear understanding of how work currently flows is essential. Walk the area with the Team Leader, identify problems, and take before photos to track improvements. Get necessary tools, cleaning materials, and safety equipment beforehand..
Start with a short training session to align the team on why the blitz is happening and what success looks like. Involving operators, maintenance, and key stakeholders gets buy-in and ensures sustained improvements.
The Process for a 3s Blitz Activity
SORT
Identify unnecessary items, tag them, and move them to a dedicated area for review
SHINE
Clean thoroughly while inspecting for safety and quality issues, issuing additional tags as needed
STRAIGHTEN
Organise essential items in a logical way, using temporary markings to refine placements over time
How long does a 3s Blitz take?
Example timings are below. Please remember that they will vary depending on the size, condition and nature of the process. Gather the team together briefly at each stage and tease out of them next steps. Everyone must have a common understanding.
0 - 45 mins 5s teachpoint
45 - 60 mins Isolate machines & pace out the area
60 - 80 mins Red tagging
80 - 95 mins Remove items to clear out area
95 - 225 mins Shine
225 – 300 mins Straighten & hand back
Post-activity
Ask your Team Leader to communicate to the Operators coming in what has happened. Tell them that you will post some visual information in the area tomorrow latest. Ensure that the Team Leader has a way of communicating to the 3rd shift.
Doing the 3s blitz only gets you so far - a baseline condition. The next step (the 4th S) is to agree a practical 5s checklist, to maintain the condition. Create a basic handwritten 5s checksheet that can be put in place asap to maintain the standard. Handwritten is ok for the moment.
Watch our video below to find out more and see real examples or download your 5s Checksheet (with example) here
The photos dotted throughout were taken from a 3s activity we led earlier this year - one of hundreds we've done across many industries
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