What is a 5S Audit?
5S is a methodology focused on achieving order and cleanliness in all areas of the company, which provides excellent results in terms of quality, productivity, cost, efficiency and safety, creating a discipline that will eventually become a culture and common practice.
It began at Toyota in the 1960s with the goal of achieving better organized, tidier and cleaner workplaces on an ongoing basis to achieve higher productivity and a better work environment.
Its stated goal is the “Eight Zeros”: Zero waste, zero accidents, zero downtime, zero defects, zero changeover waste, zero delays, zero customer dissatisfaction and zero losses.
How to perform a 5S Audit?
Selection/organization
Distinguish between what is necessary and what is not, select it and organize it for operations in the work area.
Order
A place for everything and everything in its place. This will allow: Save space, search time and facilitate visual management.
Cleaning
Keep the work area spotless and free of any dirt. This will increase staff morale and efficiency; defects become more obvious, accident risks decrease, machinery conditions improve, etc.
Standardization
Maintenance of the first 3s:
- Herramientas y métodos para administración visual: Avisos de peligro, indicaciones de colocación, designaciones de equipo, recordatorios de precaución, ayudas visuales en mantenimiento preventivo, etc. Las ayudas visuales deben ser fáciles de ver a distancia, sencillas y de fácil seguimiento
Discipline
Habit of correctly maintaining proper procedures, seeking continuous improvement. It is very important, since it entails:
- Procedures become habits
- Personnel have been properly trained, i.e. they have taken ownership of the method and apply it.
- The work area is well-ordered and standards are managed.
- Continuous improvement is sought
Key Benefits
The most visible advantage of 5S is to be able to maintain an organized structure in the work area; however, if we go into more detail, we discover that the benefits go beyond that.
Quality
With the implementation of the 5s, a specific place is assigned to each object, so that each one has its own space, which avoids errors and unnecessary waste of time searching for tools. This translates into an increase in the quality of work.
Productivity
It greatly helps to eliminate waste (production, tools, machinery and equipment) and optimize systems, processes, time and effort. As a consequence, all this results in improved productivity, higher availability and efficiency.
Security
Clearly, less mess equals fewer mishaps and, in turn, dangerous or hazardous conditions become more visible and, therefore, more avoidable.
Worker morale
By involving employees in the 5s process, they are being allowed to provide their own suggestions and feedback for future improvement of the work area, as well as the process and maintenance.
Company image
Fulfilling all of the above aspects will translate directly into a better company image, which in turn will lead to better business and growth.
In this way, 5s plays a very important role in every company, helping it to boost its image and quality. If you are thinking of implementing this tool in your office, store or any other type of work area you can opt for Kapture free trial, and we will help you create a safe, productive and error-free workplace, where employees will be happy to work and that will favor the growth of the business.
