What You Need to Know About the 5S Audit
The 5S audit check or 5S Organization Checklists is the system that is used to make sure that workers follow all the standard housekeeping procedures that apply the five main principles: Sort (seiri), Set in order (seiton), Shine (seiso), Standardize (seiketsu), and Sustain (sh*tsuke).
This system makes sure that any waste is eliminated by improving the efficiency of all employees who organize and manage the workspace.
In short, the 5S Principles include:
- Cleanliness;
- Robustness of the housekeeping procedures;
- Degree of Standardization;
- Organizational approach;
- Tagging frequency.
Toyota Motor Company was the first to implement this system but nowadays it is common in most manufacturing companies, warehouses, offices, and even hospitals.
The 5S Way of Life Consists of the Following Elements:
- Sort (seiri): represents sorting and removing anything that is unnecessary. This means that everything except tools, instructions and parts for the job will be removed from the workspace.
- Set in order (seiton): all the items are set in order and each item has a place of its own; in order to achieve this you create a visual scoreboard to help you out.
- Shine (seiso): or sanitize means cleaning the workplace, but also paining, washing, scouring, anything that can relieve you of stress and reveal any possible problems at the workplace.
- Standardize (seiketsu): is a routine cleaning that represents preventative maintenance. It is usually performed by the managers who schedule it as a routine to ensure everything works well.
- Sustain (sh*tsuke): represents self-discipline and making sure that workers can contribute to a safe and healthy working environment. Four main keys to this include: communication, education, rewards and recognition, and time.
What Are the Benefits of the 5S Audit?
Some of the most important advantages to this way of life include:
- Using this systematic approach at work ensures that any possible problems and issues can be revealed at their early stages. This is why it is important to keep the place clean and organized because in the opposite environment you would not be able to notice anything.
- This system reduces any time or wastage of tools, materials and supplies.
- The 5S audit makes sure that both the employees and employer receive and give feedback. This brings efficiency and safety to a higher level and it also reduces the mistakes.
- The organization and housekeeping levels at the work are better.
Is There a Success in Using This System?
If you are looking for more meaningful and reliable results at your workplace, then the 5S audit form is probably something you should try out. The five S methodology helps your workplace by removing the unnecessary (sort), by organizing the items and making the flow more natural (straighten), by labelling the items to stay consistent (standardize), by cleaning and housekeeping (shine), and by giving feedback and developing good relationships (sustain).
Additionally, there are many companies and organizations that include one more element to the 5S system, the Safety element, making it a 6S Audit. The goal of these elements is to make sure everyone is safe at work by identifying workplace hazards and fixing them.
The 5S method is not a difficult concept at all, it is easily understood and easily applied.
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