What is the Importance of 5S Methodology in the Present Industrial Context?
The basis of applying 5S methodology is to put everything in order. The aim of this technology is to increase product value for customers through process improvements in every step of production. The overall time taken and overheads for product manufacturing are reduced. Hence the ultimate cost of the product is also lowered. Customers get access to high quality products at reasonable costs. 5S improves industrial productivity and helps every task or work to be performed in a safe environment with efficacy. It leads to formation of a progressive 5S workplace environment. Individual components of 5S
The term 5S is formed by combining 5 Japanese words: Seri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke. Each of the unit processes has its own significance and affects the overall function of the business. For reasons of simplicity, the component terms have been translated into English. The 5 translated terms are Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize and sustain. 1. Sort- It refers to the action of arranging the things so that there is a proper chain of activities. It is good to set up a reminder for important things.
2. Set in Order- It means everything at workplace must be kept at specified points, making the process flow easy. Work environment cleanliness is a must to create an atmosphere for employee growth. The workplace should be such that there are very rare chances of risk to employees. In order to make workspace better, the redundant materials must be eliminated. 3. Shine- When all things are put in order, the employees feel more keen to put in their best efforts. Hence there is individual as well as organisational development. 4. Standardise- It refers to the logical organisation of things and effective workflow of operational units. Routine check ups and maintenance operations are conducted to verify the compliance of unit operations with established parameters. 5. Sustain- It refers to the action of retaining the quality and process efficiency improvements through continuous research and motivation. Significance of 5S methodology
5S helps in maintaining cycle of effective operations and repeatability, eliminating any redundancies. 5S methodology adds many features to an existing system like cost reduction, quality enhancement, job satisfaction, productivity rise and safety of work environment.















