The document outlines a 5S numbers game designed to improve workplace efficiency through a series of timed activities where participants strike out numbers in sequence. Each round builds on the previous one, emphasizing steps like sorting, straightening, and standardizing to enhance productivity. Participants reflect on their scores and discuss obstacles, with the ultimate goal of sustaining improvements in their work area.

1. 5S Numbers Game
 Robert Baird
Lean Teams USA
+1 215 353 0696
26-Feb-14
www.leanteamsusa.com
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2. The worksheet on the following page
represents the current state of our
work place (no peaking)
• Your job is to use a pen or pencil to Strike Out the
numbers 1 to 49 in Correct Sequence
• You will have 30 seconds to complete this task
• The Time Keeper will tell you when to start and
announce the end of your task at the 30 second mark
• When time has been called, ask each person to call out
the highest number they crossed out and record these
individual scores on a white board or flip chart
• Circle the Lowest Score – this is the Teams' Official
Score for this round
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4. Round 1 Results
• How do you feel about your score?
• What appeared to get in the way of achieving
a higher score?
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5. 5S Step #1 Sort
• We are going to implement 5S in this work area. The
first step is to Sort
• Our initial analysis shows numbers 50 to 90 are not
essential to our daily tasks…they have been removed
from the work area
• In a moment, you will repeat the Strike Out task in the
Sorted Work Place on the following page.
• Same rules apply: Use a pen to strike out numbers 1to
49 in sequence during a 30 second shift
• Record your individual scores and circle the lowest as
your Official Team Score for the round
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7. Round 2 Results
• How do you feel about your score?
• What appeared to get in the way of achieving
a higher score?
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8. Step #2 Straighten
• Having achieved some improvement, we will now move to
the next 5S step Straighten
• We have installed some racking in the work area using a 3 x
3 grid
• We have organized the numbers so that Number 1 is
located in the top left hand corner and the numbers are
sequenced from top to bottom and left to right
– Example: #1 in the top left, 2 in the top middle, and 3 in the top
right, then 4 in the left middle, 5 in middle middle… and so on
• Same rules apply: Strike out numbers 1 to 49 in sequence
during a 30 second shift. Lowest individual score is your
Official Team Score.
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10. Round 3 Results
• How do you feel about your score?
• What appeared to get in the way of achieving
a higher score?
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11. 5S Step #3 Sweep
Cleanliness. Sweep the floors, continuous
cleaning of equipment, paint if necessary, and in
general, make sure everything in the work areas
and offices stay clean
Related to our numbers game this
step has already been
completed….Great Job!
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12. 5S Step #4
Standardize
• After in-depth Work Flow Analysis, we have
installed the more detailed racking system on
the next page… no peeking
• This allows us to re-organize the numbers in a
standard fashion which will ease the
completion of your task.
• Same rules apply: Strike out numbers 1 to 49
in sequence during a 30 second shift. Lowest
individual score is your Official Team Score.
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14. Round 4 Results
• How do you feel about your score?
• What appeared to get in the way of achieving
a higher score?
• Can you think of other mechanisms to
improve the work area even further?
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15. 5S and Flow
What benefits can you expect from
application of 5S to this work
area?
• We have recently discovered two numbers are
missing! We cannot finish our job without
these numbers – so first we have to find them
• Your Team Task: Identify the two missing
numbers as quickly as possible
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16. 5S and Flow
• In a moment you will….Start the timer
• Flip to the next page
• Find the two missing numbers as a team – call them
out as you identify them
• Every 30 seconds is a Shift of work
• Timer, please announce the number of shifts out loud
as the Team works to find the missing numbers
• Stop the timer when the numbers are found and
announce the total shifts required to complete the
tasks
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18. Round 5 Results
• How do you feel about your score?
• What appeared to get in the way of achieving
a higher score?
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19. 5S and Flow
• Let’s try that again in the work area that has
experienced your Sort, Straighten, and
Standardize
• In a moment you will….Turn the page
• Start the timer
• Find the two missing numbers
• Count the number of 30 second shifts the task
requires this time
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21. Round 6 Results
• How do you feel about your score?
• What appeared to get in the way of achieving
a higher score?
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22. 5S Numbers game summary
• What did we learn?
• What else?
• How might you incorporate the 5S process
into your current work area
• What difference would you expect it to make?
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23. The Fifth S is Sustain
• Imagine you have applied the 5S process to
your current work area and seen
improvements as you did in this exercise
• What would you have to do –or have to stop
doing- to SUSTAIN these changes?
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24. 5S
1. Sort
2. Straighten
5. Sustain
3. Sweep
4. Standardize
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