Warehousing Benefits of 5s Implementation

What Is the 5S System?

The 5S system is a lean warehouse and manufacturing tool that improves warehouse efficiency and eliminates waste. There are five steps in the system, each starting with the letter S:

1. Sort

2. Set In Order

3. Shine

4. Standardize

5. Sustain

By providing a systematic framework for organization and cleanliness, 5S helps warehouse facilities avoid lost productivity from delayed work or unplanned downtime.

The Steps of 5S

5S was created in Japan, and the original “S” terms were in Japanese, so English translations for each of the five steps may vary. The basic ideas and the connections between them are easy to understand, though.

1. Sort tidiness - Remove unnecessary items from each area

2. Set In Order orderliness - Organize and identify storage for efficient use

3. Shine cleanliness - Clean and inspect each area regularly

4. Standardize standardization - Incorporate 5S into standard operating procedures

5. Sustain discipline

These steps feed into each other, so the sequence is important.

Clearing out unnecessary materials in step 1 (Sort) will provide the space needed to organize the important items in step 2 (Set In Order).

Then, once the work space is de-cluttered and organized, dirt and grime can be removed in step 3 (Shine).

These changes to workers’ job duties and work environment should be reflected in updated procedures through step 4 (Standardize).

Finally, those new procedures won’t amount to much unless responsibility is assigned and progress is tracked — as required for step 5 (Sustain). And with responsibility and tracking, workers will continue to apply the steps, returning to step 1.

Step 1: Sort

The first step in the 5S process is Sort, or “seiri,” which translates to “tidiness.” The goal of the Sort step is to eliminate warehouse clutter and clear up warehousing space by removing things that don’t belong in the area.

Clearing the Work Area

For this step, take a close look at the items, tools, and materials in a warehousing area. Items that are necessary or useful for the work being done in that space should be kept there. Everything else should be removed.

Some of those removed items will need to be thrown away or recycled. Other items might belong to another warehousing work process or operational location; they should be returned to their “homes.” However, you might find some items that you aren’t sure about.

Red-Tagging Unknown Items

If you find an item that you can’t identify, or that has uncertain ownership, it’s time to use a red tag. “Red-Tagging” temporarily attaches a highly-visible tag to the item, which notes where it was found and when. Then, red-tagged items from all work areas are collected in a single location: a “lost and found” for tools, materials, and equipment.

If a warehousing area is missing an important tool, check the red tag collection area to see if it was found somewhere else. Warehouse supervisors for each work space should check the red tag collection area periodically, in case something has been missed. Anything that belongs in a work space should be taken back there.

Reassigning Tagged Items

Items may wait in the red tag collection area for a long time. In that case, the original work area (where that item came from) doesn’t seem to need it anymore. It may be useful elsewhere, though.

In one common approach, items may be left in the red tag collection space for thirty days. After that, any supervisor may claim the item for their own work area. If nobody wants it after another week, the item can be removed from the facility entirely. Sell it, recycle it, or throw it away.

If an item will definitely be needed by the company, but isn’t needed right now, it might be best to store it for later. Before putting anything into storage, be sure it will actually be needed again. Have a specific plan for getting that item out of storage again, at a specific time. Don’t store things “just in case” without good cause, and keep track of what’s been stored.

Step 2: Set In Order

The second step, Set In Order, was originally called “seiton,” which translates to “orderliness.” A variety of names have been used in English: “Systematic Organization,” “Straightening Out,” and “Simplify,” for example. No matter what it’s called, the goal of this step is to organize the warehouse area. Each item should be easy to find, use, and return: a place for everything, and everything in its place.

Tools that are used frequently within the warehouse should be stored near the place they are used. Spare equipment, supplies, and other tools that are used less often can be kept in a central location, where multiple teams can share them. Items that are typically used together (strapping machines) should be stored near each other. Each of these decisions will make sense on its own, but it may become difficult to keep track of everything. It may be helpful to create a 5S warehouse map as part of this process.

A 5S warehouse map is a diagram or floor plan that provides an overview of a work area, process, or warehouse work station. It provides a visual reference to show where the tools, supplies, workers, and travel paths are, and how they relate to each other. A good map may also include a description of the warehouse work that happens in the area shown.

Depending on your warehouse facility’s needs, you may find one approach easier than another:

• Draw up a map, and then implement it

• Physically arrange the warehouse and distribution workplace first, and then map it out

• Map as you go, testing ideas and writing down what works well

No matter which approach is used to create it, the resulting 5S warehouse map should be kept as a training tool, used for reference in later steps of 5S, and updated over time as the work area changes.

Communicating the Plan

Once storage locations are assigned, each warehouse storage area should be labelled. Label the outside of cabinet doors to help warehouse workers quickly identify what’s inside each one. Then, label any interior shelves to show where different supplies belong. The same ideas extend to rack labels, bins, and other storage systems.

Many warehouse facilities use a “shadow board” for tool storage, to ensure that each tool is easy to put back in its correct storage place. With this approach, a label matching the shape and size of the tool is placed where that tool belongs. Warehouse workers can immediately spot where each item belongs, and know at a glance if the item is there or not. No more time wasted looking through drawers and bins.

Organization can extend to the floor, too. Warehouse areas, movement lanes, and storage for supplies and finished products can all be marked with floor marking tape.

Step 3: Shine

The third step of 5S is Shine, or “seiso,” which means “cleanliness.” While the first and second steps cleared up warehouse space and arranged the warehouse and distribution area for efficiency, this step attacks the dirt and grime that inevitably builds up underneath the clutter, and works to keep it from coming back.

Shine moves far beyond just pushing a broom around the warehouse every now and then. It involves regular cleaning of every part of the warehouse work area — often a daily wipe-down, and a more thorough cleaning each week.

Importantly, the Shine step is not meant to be a job for the maintenance or janitorial staff. Each warehouse worker should clean their own work area, and the equipment they use. This approach has several benefits:

• Warehouse workers who are familiar with the area will quickly notice any problems that arise

• Warehouse hazards or difficult situations will be understood and accounted for

• Items that are out of place or missing will be recognized

• Warehouse workers will tend to keep their own workspaces cleaner during normal operations

Everyone should pay attention to the overall cleanliness of the warehouse and distribution workplace, being willing to pick up trash and so on. But for 5S to give the best results, each worker should take personal responsibility for their own working space.

Shine as Preventative Maintenance

Keeping warehouse work areas clean will have many advantages. One important advantage is that it’s easy to spot leaks, cracks, or misalignments. If the warehouse staff keeping the area clean are the same people who work there regularly, they will be quick to recognize any of these problems.

Leaving those problems unnoticed and unresolved could result in equipment failure, safety hazards, and loss of productivity. With the constant cleaning and inspections used in the Shine step of 5S, the system can feed into a preventative maintenance program. This way, 5S can extend the working life of equipment and help reduce emergency downtime.

Step 4: Standardize

The first three steps of 5S cover the basics of clearing, organizing, and cleaning a warehouse work space; on their own, those steps will provide short-term benefits. The fourth step is Standardize, or “seiketsu,” which simply means standardization. By writing down what is being done, where, and by whom, you can incorporate the new practices into normal work procedure. This paves the way for long-term change within your warehouse and distribution areas.

It’s been said that “If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.” Writing down the decisions that you make in your 5S program will help ensure that your work doesn’t just disappear. If you made a 5S map in the Set In Order step, that map can be part of your new standard for the area. In the same way, the process that you use for red-tagging items can be written down and included in the standards.

Writing out your decisions doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind, though. The purpose of 5S is to make your warehouse better, not to make it unchangeable. You are writing the standards for your warehouse and distribution facility, and you can change them to fit new information or new business needs.

Tools for Standardizing

Once you’ve made decisions on how to change your warehouse work practices, those decisions need to be communicated to the warehouse staff. This communication is a key part of the Standardize step. Common tools for this process include:

• 5S checklists – Listing the individual steps of a process makes it easy for warehouse staff to follow that process completely. It also provides a simple auditing tool to check progress later on.

• Job cycle charts – Identify each task to be performed in a work area, and decide on a schedule or frequency for each of those tasks. Then, assign responsibility to a particular worker (or job duty). The resulting chart can be posted visibly to resolve questions and promote accountability.

• Procedure labels and signs – Provide operating instructions, cleaning steps, and preventative maintenance procedures right where that information will be needed.

Step 5: Sustain

The fifth step of a 5S program is Sustain, or “shitsuke,” which literally means “discipline.” The idea here is continuing commitment. It’s important to follow through on the decisions that you’ve made — and continually return to the earlier steps of 5S, in an ongoing cycle.

Never “Once and Done”

The 5S approach was never meant to be a one-time event, but an ongoing cycle. This is key, because early successes in 5S can open the way for problems. If open space becomes available in the Sort step, but afterward, tools and materials are allowed to gradually fill in that space without any organization, the end result can be an even bigger mess. The solution is to apply the ideas of 5S over and over, as a routine part of normal work. That’s why Sustain is so important.

Sustaining a 5S program can mean different things in different warehouses, but there are some elements that are common in successful programs.

A Sixth “S” for Safety

When it comes to lean and the warehouse workplace improvement, 5S is one of the most widely known and used lean tools. It’s no surprise: 5S can increase warehouse and distribution workplace efficiency, reduce costs, and improve quality. But with many lean programs, it’s easy to focus only on those goals, and lose sight of the human factor. Warehouse worker safety is critical. That’s why many warehouse facilities add another step to the 5S cycle, calling the result “6S” — with Safety.

Unlike the first five steps, Warehouse Safety is not a sequential step. It must be considered during each of the other steps. During the Sort phase, for example, you might decide that a given tool is obsolete because a newer version is safer to use. Likewise, during the Standardize step, work procedures need to be standardized to improve workplace safety, not just efficiency.

Looking at implementing 5s in your warehouse, drop us a line to see how we can help.

logisticsconsult.co.nz