1.
Personal Information
Name:​ Bryan Bartley
Phone: ​(210) 788­5202
Email:​ ​bryanjbartley@gmail.com
Name:​ J. De La Garza
Phone:​ (210) 683­2651
Email:​ ​j.delagarza86@hotmail.com
Project Information
Project Title: ​MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
Date Started: ​10/04/2015
Date Completed: ​11/22/2015
Company Name:​ MicroTel Source
Company Address: ​ 223 Royal Oaks Dr., San Antonio, TX 78209
Project Sponsor/Champion:​ Edward Gelsone
Phone: ​(210) 273­9115
Email: ​edward@microtelsource.com

2. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
Executive Summary: 5S Project
This report was commissioned to explore the benefits of 5S implementation at MicroTel
Source. MicroTel is a small RF Consulting Firm that had no standardized processes
around office maintenance or organization. The goal of this project was to reduce waste
and save money through the implementation of 5S (Sort, Shine, Set In Order, Standardize,
and Sustain).
Early on, we discovered the importance of implementing 5S steps sequentially. Our initial
attempt relied on a concurrent implementation, which produced subpar results. However,
by realigning with the process, we were able to pursue a successful implementation.
The unique nature of the consulting environment (part office, part home, part workshop)
required us to develop tools that support 5S principles in a mixed­use space. By utilizing
modified versions of lean tools, such as red­tagging, kanban boards, body­bagging, and
color coding, we were able to create an environment that was functional, efficient, and
visually appealing.
Overall, the project resulted in a net gain of $1,569.35 (Appendix 9). Additionally, we
measured a 58.33% decrease in the time that it took to find tools (A.7). We achieved our
original goal of developing standardized processes and saving money, however we have
reservations about the efficacy of 5S in a mixed use space.
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3. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
5S Project Detailed Report
Report Structure
1. First Implementation Attempt
2. Sort
3. Shine
4. Set In Order
5. Standardize
6. Sustain
7. Reflections
1. First Implementation Attempt
At the beginning of our project, we had a very broad plan for our implementation. We
outlined some goals with our client (Ed) and rough time table of 17 hours for completion.
Our plan was essentially:
1. Clean the office
2. Organize the tools
3. Reduce waste / Save money
This was deemed sufficient, as the MicroTel office prior to implementation was in very poor
condition. The space was so cluttered that it was unsafe to live in, let alone work
productively.
Fig. 1) State of the office prior to implementation.
Take note of the chairs half­propped against the empty silver storage cabinet,
inaccessible shelves against the back wall, and lack of floor space for movement
within the room.
In the weeks prior to beginning the implementation, we kept track of all of the items that Ed
was unable to find.
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4. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
Lost Items
Date Item
8/31/15 Laptop Charger
9/8/15 Ratchet Socket, Whiteboard
Markers
9/10/15 Battery Clamps
9/13/15 Box of Screws
9/25/15 Crimper
Although we noted that many of the items were low value, there were incidents that Ed
discussed where items of much higher value were lost (a $1,200 server being the most
notable example). This became our primary target: to reduce the number of items lost,
thereby reducing expenses related to tools and equipment.
The most obvious way to reduce the possibility of losing tools and equipment was to
remove the things in the office that could hide them. We started by taking everything that
was in the office to a temporary storage location. These items would be slowly brought
back in, if they were identified as necessary, and placed in the proper location.
Fig. 2​ ​& 3) The office after our initial clean up. On the left you can see
our start to the outlining process on the shelves.
During this process we were able to recover $1,620 in supplies and equipment that had
formerly been written off (A.1). This was a great motivator to continue the 5S
implementation. Additionally, this helped solidify Ed’s buy­in to the whole 5S process.
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5. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
It was at this point that we reached a critical junction. We now had a functional space, but
when it was time to decide ​how ​it would be utilized, there really wasn’t anything in our plan
to guide us. We talked about organizing the tools, but failed to create a method of
organization. We were working in the spirit of 5S, but not really implementing 5S. So, we
decided that it would be best to go back into planning, and began the 5S process anew.
2. Sort
Our second Sort phase was started by identifying workplace and project boundaries.
During our initial Sort, we spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to handle personal
items. It didn’t take long for us to realize that when it comes to personal belongings, there’s
no clear line between what is needed and what is not. We decided to proceed with the
following guidelines:
● The full 5S implementation will only apply to work­designated space.
● Space identified as personal space will be cleaned and organized, but is ultimately
outside the scope of the project.
● Items within work­designated space will be sorted according to frequency of use.
The first two guidelines really helped us in honing in on the needs of MicroTel Source as a
business. By designating certain parts of the office as work­only spaces, we were able to
refine our scope and focus on what would save the business money. While we did ensure
that the rest of the office had the necessary organization and cleaning to be presentable,
we did not try to identify personal items that could be considered wasteful to keep.
Fig. 4) The top two shelves are work­designated,
while the bottom two are personal space.
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6. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
The most difficult part of this process was identifying the frequency of use of various items
in the office. Without intimate experience with the operation, this was impossible to
determine, so it was necessary to pass almost every classification through Ed.
“What is this?”
“How often do you use it?”
As he answered, piece by piece the office began to come together. We settled on a simple
3­tier classification system, Often­Sometimes­Never. Items that were used often were
placed on shelves, those that were sometimes used were placed in the closet, and those
that were never used went out to the temporary storage for processing and disposal.
Fig. 5) We found that the majority of the office was filled
with things that were never used. After removing them, we were left
with a lot of space for the remaining items.
Once the floor and desktop were free of clutter, and all of the unnecessary items were
removed, it was time to move on to the Shine phase.
3. Shine
Before we started cleaning, we had to define our standards of a clean office. This was
really more of a client tolerance decision than anything else. While we could do a one­time
deep clean, in the long term MicroTel would not be able to maintain that standard. Through
discussions with Ed, we were able to settle on three basic cleaning tasks:
1. Sweep the floor
2. Wipe clean the desk
3. Dust the shelves
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7. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
Fig. 6 & 7) Before and after sweeping.
These were three tasks that would contribute to the overall efficiency of the business, as
they would help sustain the 5S improvements. If, every week, the floor is swept and the
desk wiped clean, it will be impossible for the office to return to its prior state.
4. Set In Order
Once the office was clean and had only the necessary work items, we were able to begin
thinking about the best placement of those items. While the first two steps in the 5S
process are all about decluttering, Set In Order is about systematically organizing the
items left in the work space.
For the project, this meant identifying the ways that Lean tools could be applied to fit the
needs of MicroTel Source. It’s not necessarily effective or visually appealing to have a
home office where every item is taped out and labelled. We wanted to create a system that
blended with the environment, but remained intuitive and true to Lean principles.
We adapted the following Lean tools to help us in this process:
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8. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
Lean Tools Utilized
Lean Tool Our Implementation Reference Image
Labeling Under all of the primary office tools and
supplies, we put labels that would help
inform Ed when something was missing
or needed to be purchased.
A.2
Color­coding / Taping We utilized green tape to designate
work­specific areas.
A.3, A.4
Tool Kitting A primary tool bag was identified and
filled with all the necessary tools to
complete a job at a client site. Tools
were organized by primary job
(Mechanical vs Electrical).
A.5, A.6
This is where the majority of the financial benefits are typically found in a 5S
implementation. Ordering and labeling items in the office helps reduce inventory and labor
expenses related to finding tools and supplies. Because MicroTel’s business is primarily in
engineering design, it is difficult to gauge the actual monetary benefits from this process.
However, we note a 58.33% decrease in time spent searching for tools in the office (A.7).
5. Standardize
After the office was cleaned and organized, it was necessary to create standards to
maintain 5S improvements. During this process we had to learn to balance the goal of
perfect maintenance and the reality of limited engagement in the process by stakeholders.
We needed standards that would actually be maintained long­term.
Ultimately, we settled on two key standards: a weekly cleaning schedule and a modified
kanban system to help identify missing tools. The cleaning schedule uses a whiteboard
and excel document to track cleaning progress on a weekly basis. The modified kanban
system uses pink stickers to identify areas in need of further attention, which helps draw
maintenance effort to areas that need it most. This is a tool for both Ed and other
stakeholders (family members) to help maintain items in their proper location.
Fig. 8) Instructions to the kanban system as
seen on the vertical beam of the shelves.
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9. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
6. Sustain
Our efforts in sustaining the implementation have thus far been successful. On 11/22/15
we officially completed the implementation, and as of 11/30/15 the cleaning schedule has
been adhered too. In addition to the standardized processes outlined above, we decided to
implement a fail­safe measure to prevent the office from returning to its prior state. Every
two weeks there is a scheduled audit on the office. If the cleaning schedule and the
organizational scheme are succeeding, this audit should be very brief. However, if the
processes are failing, it will be necessary to restore the workplace to its
post­implementation state and consider modifying the process to prevent further
degradation in the future.
7. Reflections
Overall, both the project team and MicroTel Source are satisfied with the outcomes of the
project. In addition to the recovery of $1,620 worth of equipment and supplies, we
substantially increased the available floor space and desk space within the office (A.8).
Our only reservations about the implementation relate to the tangible monetary benefits
involved in the process and whether or not what we implemented can really be considered
5S.
Ideally, we would have gathered more measurements about the time spent searching for
tools in the office prior to the beginning of our process, however ­­ since we focused solely
on lost equipment and supplies in the first implementation, we failed to take measurements
until after our first attempt at sorting. More documentation about the time saved and the
time spent searching for tools could have helped us project long­term financial benefit from
this implementation.
While our techniques and process were indeed inspired by 5S, it is unlikely that a person
entering the room would immediately identify it as such. In an effort to fit the process to
constraints of a mixed­use space, we had to abandon some of the key tools of the 5S
process (address system, floor borders). Additionally, we had to make the assumption at
the beginning of the project that it is possible for only part of a given space to adhere to 5S
principles.
Despite the above concerns, we feel that this project has been a great learning
experience. We entered the project thinking that 5S was just cleaning and taping borders
around objects in the office, but left with a deeper understanding that 5S is about designing
an efficient space and learning to think in a way that reduces waste in the workplace.
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10. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
APPENDICES
A.1
Item Found Value Quantity Total Value
Promotional Goods $1,500 1 $1,500
Laptop Chargers $15 4 $60
Heat Shrink Gun $60 1 $60
Total Value $1,620
A.2
A.3 & A.4
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11. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
A.5 & A.6
A.7
*Vertical axis measured in seconds
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12. MicroTel Source 5S Intervention
A.8
Available Space Before and After Implementation
Item Before After Percentage
Increase
Floor Space 11.74 sqft 93.33 sqft 795%
Desk 1.22 sqft 11.06 sqft 907%
A.9
Net Gain from Implementation
Item Cost Quantity Total Cost
Frog Tape (Green and
Yellow)
($4.84) 2 ($9.68)
Electrical Tape ($1.97) 1 ($1.97)
Trash Bags ($.30) 10 ($3)
Food ($9) 4 ($36)
Total Cost 4 ($50.65)
Total Net Gain (A.1
Total Value ­ Total
Cost)
$1,569.35
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