5S Management

With the ever changing economic climate, many organizations are periodically adjusting their resources to align with business strategy. This often results in the need to achieve more work with fewer resources. In order to remain successful, businesses must become more efficient, reduce waste and thereby reduce cost. We must find ways to do what we are currently doing in less time and at a lower cost. One way we can accomplish this is through the use of 5S Principles. The 5S Principles are very effective at identifying and eliminating waste and increasing efficiency. There is a lot of information about 5S and how it came to be. The popular belief is that the Japanese invented the 5S Methodology because the letter “S” stands for five Japanese words, that when translated to roman script, start with the letter “S”. In actuality, the principles within 5S were being utilized decades before by Mr. Henry Ford. It has been reported that prior to 1920, Mr. Ford was using CANDO in his manufacturing processes. The acronym CANDO stands for Cleaning up, Arranging, Neatness, Discipline and Ongoing improvement. In the 1950s, representatives from Toyota visited the Ford facilities to be trained in automotive mass production methods. The Japanese later adapted the CANDO methods and applied them in their production facilities. Some commonly used words describing the steps in 5S are Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. Throughout different companies, various words are used that have similar meanings. No matter what specific words are used to identify the steps in 5S, the purpose remains the same: create a clean, organized and efficient work environment.