What Does 5's Mean? A Simple Explanation Needed for Better Understanding

Hi,

Please tell me what 5's means in brief.

Dear Friend,

The following attachment is useful to you. It is very simple.

Regards,
Kumar

"5S" is a process tool used for organizing the workplace for good housekeeping. "5S" was invented in Japan. This stands for five (5) Japanese words that start with the letter 'S': Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke.

These are translated into English to best fit the Japanese meaning into a set of five 'S' words: Sort, Set (in place), Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.

Seiri (Sort) - Means Tidiness - throw away all rubbish and unrelated materials in the workplace.

Seiton (Set) - Means Orderliness - Set everything in the proper place for quick retrieval and storage.

Seiso (Shine) - Means Cleanliness - Clean the workplace. The concept is as if everyone is a janitor.

Seiketsu (Standardize) - Means Standardization - Standardize the processes in a way that maintains cleanliness.

Shitsuke (Sustain) - Means Discipline - Practice 'Five S' daily - make it a way of life; this also means 'commitment'.

Therefore, the key targets of 5S are workplace morale and efficiency. The mantra of 5S is that by assigning everything a location, time is not wasted by looking for things.

The 5S concept demands deciding what should be kept, where it should be kept, and how it should be stored.

The benefits are enormous when it is used with small group activities like quality circles, kaizen, etc.

Dear Narendra,

Excellent information. Although I did not check my mail, I went through the link given by you - excellent. I liked the best practice checklist, such as the luxury & noise level display. I could not understand the meaning of "use & throw sheets inside helmets for visitors." Can you explain?

Also, very interesting was your evaluation sheet. The process from initialization to excellence with improvement, development, and integration was beautifully explained. It is like a business excellence model - approach, deployment, integration, and results. Excellent.

Thanks a lot for sharing the information.

Nandish

Hi Nathaniel,

I'm new to this site and I have been wanting a presentation on 5's for a long time. Thank you so much. This is really helpful for me.

Regards,
Sushma

Hi Trupti,

I wanted to share with you an article on the 5S methodology that I believe will be helpful to you. Unfortunately, the link provided no longer exists. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out.

Best regards

Hi Trupti,

There is creativity in the presentation. Take my comments in a true spirit.

1. The flow of contents - you start with Kaizen and link to 5 S is good. By linking the Deming circle in the middle of the presentation, it was misleading from the topic. The flow is distracting. You could have started with the PDCA cycle, linking to TQM or continual improvement, taking examples of kaizen, 5S, etc., as tools to accomplish small group activities or the improvement process, and then move on to the 5S principles.

2. Animations/pictures - again, a creative approach in developing the Deming cycle with PDCA and SDCA. As far as my knowledge is concerned, PDCA is also referred to as PDSA, i.e., instead of check, some use the word study. These are not two different types; it is the same and known as the Deming circle. The same concept is repeated in the next slide as a graph with alternate circles. Did you mean to use PDCA for improvement and SDCA for sustenance here?

3. Examples to describe the concept - it is a fact that many of us lose the grip on the topic by trying to impress the audience with pictures/examples. You could have used simple examples related to the workplace. The best examples can come from our homes, which are very easy to understand. For seiri, you give an example of the respiratory system, which is a process waste. You can sort out (organize). Similarly, for seiton, the picture does not suit your earlier explanation for easy to see, easy to pick, etc.

Nandish

Hi Trupti,

Thank you for your message. I appreciate your feedback on the presentation. Your points have absolutely enhanced it. Providing examples made it easier to understand the concept, especially for the common man, ex-workers, and unskilled individuals who also play a major role in the industry. Your insights have contributed significantly to this PowerPoint presentation.

Thank you once again!

Best regards,
Nandish

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