5S # THE JAPANESE SUCCESS MANTRA

To start with, I express my sincere thanks to Scribd for giving me an opportunit

y to publish my views on 5S The Japanese success mantra. I am a Mechanical Enginee
r working as an executive in Research division of an automotive multinational co
mpany.
This article unfolds a Japanese principle known as Principle of 5S which is follow
ed religiously by every Japanese right from students to the Industrialists. This
approach to the work may look very simplistic to some but this is the main prin
ciple what made Japan to emerge as world Leaders in every field of Technology an
d their way of functioning stands out as a benchmark for the others. I very sinc
erely hope that all the students will not only read this article but also follow
these principles in their daily living and become successful in every aspect of
life and take themselves to the heights of success and achieve a distinguished
position.
Introduction to 5S:
5S is a reference to a list of five Japanese words which 'start' with S and explains
a systematic approach for improvement of productivity and quality by organizing
a workplace. It is a methodology which advocates;
1. What should be kept?
2. Where should be kept?
3. How should be kept?
Thus, 5S describes how to organize a work space for efficiency and effectiveness b
y identifying and storing the items used, maintaining the area and items, and su
staining the new order. There are five primary 5S phases: sorting, set in order,
systematic cleaning, standardizing, and sustaining. Table 1 gives a summarized
view of 5S
Phase 1. Seiri Put things in order (remove what is not needed and keep what is n
eeded)
Phase 2. Seiton Proper Arrangement (Place things so that they are easily accessi
ble when required)
Phase 3. Seiso Clean (Keep things Clean, Polished and Dirt free in the workplace
)
Phase 4. Seiketsu Purity (Maintain cleanliness after cleaning perpetual cleaning
)
Phase 5. Shitsuke Commitment (adherence to standards established for the above p
hases)
Figure 1 The Progression of 5S illustrates the ascending step stones of 5S and Figur
e 2 Practicing 5S illustrates the modes of applying them in our routine working.
Table 1 - Elements of "5S"
Understanding 5S:
Sorting
Eliminate all unnecessary things required for your working depending upon your w
ork area. Go through all the items in the work area. Keep only essential items a
nd eliminate what is not required (this is done by prioritizing the things as pe
r requirements and keeping them in easily-accessible and well defined places. Ev
erything else should be stored or discarded.
Straightening or Setting in Order
Arrange all the items in such a way that the most frequently used items are the
easiest and quickest to locate. The purpose of this step is to eliminate time wa
sted in obtaining the necessary items for an operation.
Sweeping or Shine
Clean the workspace and all items of your work place and organize them in a prop
er and defined manner. At the end of each work session, clean the work area and
be sure that all other items are restored to its place. This makes it easy to kn
ow what goes where and ensures that everything is where it should be as per the
location defined in the previous phase.
Standardizing
All work stations for a particular job should be identical. All doing the same j
ob should be able to work in any station with the same tools that are in the sam
e location in every station.
Sustaining the Practice
Maintain focus on this new way and do not allow a gradual decline back to the ol
d ways. While thinking about the new way, also be thinking about yet better ways
. It should be made as a habit and be continually improved.
5S for Students
1. Sort
1. Identify a place where the books, Files, geometry tools, Craft Material etc c
an be kept and call it as your work station / work place.
2. Allocate area for each item. (One for course books, other for files, etc.)
3. Sort out items (books, files, register, craft material etc) in order of their
requirement frequency such as (Items needed regularly, Items needed but not reg
ularly, Items needed but not in such large quantities, Items wanted but not need
ed and Items for disposal)
2. Set in Order
1. Keep / Arrange items in such a way that their maneuvering/movement shall be e
asy and facilitate efficient working
2. Make proper layout of the work place
3. Identify and detail what is to be kept where and how space can be utilized.
4. Assign areas for different type of work items
5. Identify and arrange items for easy access
6. Identify the areas that can be used to store items
7. Store and arrange items logically
8. Develop retention period
9. Mark/tag all the files and documents / Items
10. Allocate suitable color to files for separation
11. Place files in the cabinets / Bench rack
3. Sweeping
1. Clean workplace on daily basis by removing dirt and dust
2. Inspect files, documents and work items on regular basis for missing pages. C
heck out for the Files and documents nearing their expiration. Also, remove File
s or documents whose retention period is over and Update inventory for consumabl
e items.
4. Standardize
1. Standardize and allocate separate areas to be used by different departments/s
ections
2. Standardize time for document retention
3. Standardize filing system
4. Standardize disposal procedure
5. Sustain
1. Follow the system repeatedly communicating the purpose and benefit of workpla
ce organization to your friends and see it as an international practice rather t
han just cleanliness.
Advantages of 5 S for the Students:
Everything is simplified. Any complicated situation is eliminated without a wast
e of time, material, tools, equipments and people. The work process will be with
out errors without defects and without unstable factors. To summarize the advant
age are:
1. Improved productivity (Students will not waste their time just looking for pe
ns and copies)
2. Problem Identification in time (Problems and issues are identified and appreh
ended in time before they have an impact on performance. Students will come to
know that their compass is not working for an example)
3. Better Quality (Dirt can have a serious impact on quality output of your work
ing hours and do not let you focused. Thus, your efficiency is improved and your
study time will be more productive)
4. Pride in studying (It will help to create an environment in which the student
has pride in their workplace)
5. Reduce time to search documents, studying equipment, and stationary
6. Increased space for storage