5S
A Guide to the Most Useful 5S Materials
Ever wonder where to get started with LEAN? Well here’s a no-nonsense, jump-right-in introduction to my favorite 5S tools, complete with recommendations on how to use them! Industrial Label Maker One great 5S tool for just about every business is an industrial label maker. One of the hardest things about creating labels in any sort…
Tony Ferraro | February 12, 2014 | 5S | 5S
Making Your 5S Project An Act of Charity – And Why You Should Do It
Capitalism has a strange relationship with charity. On the one hand, businesses are perpetually encouraged to reinvest their profits, minimize monetary leaks, and carry forth in a manner that keeps them squarely in the black. On the other side of things, nothing benefits corporate image more than a genuine act of charity, or a project…
Tony Ferraro | January 17, 2014 | 5S | 5S, Continuous Improvement
5S Supplies Improve Safety and Organization in Auto Repair Shops
A few months ago Creative Safety Supply donated a variety of 5S supplies to an auto shop at Portland Community College. CSS also worked with the college to help make their facility safer and more efficient. You can read more about the changes made here. After I seen the success of this project I decided…
Tony Ferraro | January 16, 2014 | 5S | Facility Efficiency, Facility Marking, Labeling, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace, Rack Labeling, Safety, Safety Signs, Tool Organization, Workplace Safety
5S Tools and Blueprint Used In My Last 5S Project
When re-organizing or changing up your work floor or operations setup, you can have a potentially massive task on your hands. The problem with “potentially massive” projects is that they tend to easily become overwhelming, leading many to one of two undesirable outcomes: A) You take shortcuts and end up with a sort of half-result…
Tony Ferraro | December 30, 2013 | 5S | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Floor Marking, Labeling, Organized Workplace, Rack Labeling, Safety Signs, Tool Organization
6S System: The Basics
Let’s take a moment and go back to the basics. The ‘5S’ system, as it’s called, stands for Sort, Set In Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. The system outlines how to go about organizational projects in a way that is efficient and effective both in the short and long term. In this blog post, we’re…
Tony Ferraro | November 13, 2013 | 5S | 5S, 6S, Facility Efficiency, Organized Workplace
A 5S Template to Increase ROI
There are many benefits associated with the implementation of 5S. Below, we have created a list of the top ten benefits which may result in higher ROI’s (Return on Investment) when 5S is implemented properly. Creates Consistency: When 5S is implemented, consistency is created throughout the workplace. Processes, procedures, tools used, and even levels of…
Tony Ferraro | November 4, 2013 | 5S | 5S, 6S, Facility Efficiency, Tool Organization
5S Factory
When you think of a 5S factory, what comes to mind? Do you think simply about organization or does your mind paint a picture of a fully functional, well-ordered, and efficiently run work environment? If you are thinking the second option is correct, you are on the right track. When it comes to a factory…
Mike Wilson | March 28, 2013 | 5S | 5S, Lean
Spring Clean your Business Processes
Spring is here again! Spring is usually a time for fresh starts, new ideas, and that inevitable spring cleaning. However, when many of us think about spring cleaning we automatically think about doing household chores such as sweeping out the garage and cleaning and reorganizing the house. We rarely think, “Oh, spring is here, it is…
Mike Wilson | March 25, 2013 | 5S | 5S
Everything You Need To Know About the 5S Audit
The 5S audit Check or 5S Organization Checklist is a bench-marking checklist that assesses how well a factory or an office is organized. It is based on the 5S principles which we will discuss shortly. A safe and productive workplace needs structure and discipline. That is the crux of the 5S audit. It provides a framework that…
Mike Wilson | December 26, 2012 | 5S | 5S, Lean
Knowing About the 5S Principles
The Kaizen or the 5S principles are one of the most successful business principles in use today. It is very versatile because it does not only help companies to enhance their performance within the workplace but in their personal lives as well. The unique aspect is that the principles can also be applied on a…
Mike Wilson | December 20, 2012 | 5S | 5S, Lean
How to introduce 5S concept in the work environment?
As a concept, 5S is intended to produce the best results in any given work environment. This includes things like productivity and wasted time, the happiness and safety of employees, and of course the overall profitability of your business. The S’s themselves stand for sort, set in order, shine, standardize, and sustain. Unfortunately, 5S and…
Mike Wilson | November 15, 2012 | 5S | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Labeling, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace, Tool Organization
How to Organize Your Shop Using 5S
One of the easiest ways to keep things organized in your shop after a long day of work is to take the guesswork out of where tools should be stored. No one likes to start working in an environment that is disordered and cluttered. The video below demonstrates how to create tool organizer inserts for…
Mike Wilson | November 1, 2012 | 5S | 5S, Continuous Improvement
Employing 5S Tools to Improve Efficiency and Productivity
5S as a tool for lean enterprise was developed by Toyota to transform the then infant multinational into a major global player. The transformation did indeed take place with very fruitful lessons to all business managers worldwide. The raging misconception that these tools are only applicable in large organizations with complex structures is ill-informed as…
Mike Wilson | November 1, 2012 | 5S | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency
What is 5S? Watch This Training Video
I am constantly on the search for great content to share with readers. This vid by Lean Deployment really helps to inform people on the basics of 5S and their business.
Mike Wilson | October 19, 2012 | 5S | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Lean
Lean Doesn’t Always Mean "5S First"
The other day, I wrote a post about an article I read by Bruce Hamilton on whether to start a lean program by using 5S. Today, I noticed Jamie Flinchbaugh’s lean blog, in which he cites his comments on that Old Lean Guy, Hamilton’s article, and he offers his concept that lean is more of…
Mike Wilson | October 1, 2012 | 5S | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing