2. Japanese
SEIRI
English
SORT
Brief Description
Take out unnecessary
items and dispose
SEITON SYSTEMATIZE Arrange necessary
items in good order for
use
SEISO SWEEP Clean your workplace
SEIKETSU SANITIZE Maintain high standard of
housekeeping
SHITSUKE SELF DISCIPLINE Do things spontaneously
without being told or
ordered
4. SEIRI(SORT) MEANS, “TAKE OUT UNNECESSARY ITEMS AND DISPOSE”.
Step 1. Look around your workplace with your colleagues. Discover and
identify items which are unnecessary to your work.. . . .Then, dispose all
unnecessary items…NEVER KEEP ANYTHING WHICH ARE UNNECESSARY TO
YOUR WORKPLACE!!!
Step 2. If you and your colleagues cannot decide if an item is necessary or
unnecessary, put Disposal Notice with the date on the item and….Set the item
aside….
Step 3. After a period, say three months, check if someone needed the item or
not. If no one needed the item for three months, that means the item is not
needed for your work. When you cannot decide yourselves, you can make the
time to make decision.
5. NOTE :
1. In this sorting operation , all you must not forget, inside drawers, lockers
and cabinets.
2. Disposal can be done in either of the following:
• Sell to outside company
• Move to other department/place where the item is needed
• Throw it away, or dispose as garbage
• In disposing item, it is best to make people know
• who has the authority for disposal.
• It is also better to make known to all where to return excessive
stock of materials and supplies.
• While looking around for unnecessary items in your workplace, look
at every nook and corner like when you are looking for cockroaches!
REMEMBER, it will be a BONUS to you if you found some useful
items!
6. SEITON (SYSTEMATIZE) MEANS, “NECESSARY ITEMS IN GOOD
ORDER FOR USE”.
Make sure all unnecessary items are eliminated from your workplace Then, think of what things should be
put where, taking into account the flow of your work, movements of equipments, if there are any, from the
point of view of safe and efficient operation.
Then decide with your colleagues which things to put where also from the point of view of safe and efficient
operation. The principle is to put most frequently needed item close to the user so as to minimize the
movement of the person. Things which are not so often used could be placed farther away. You make a plan
with your colleagues based on these principles and locate things accordingly.
It is necessary to make sure that everyone at your workplace know what are kept where for efficient use.
Make a list of things with their locations and put it in cabinets/lockers. Label each drawer/cupboard to show
what is kept inside.
Apply the same principles and indicate the places where fire extinguishers are located, exits/entrances and
whenever necessary, warning signs for safety precautions.
Note:
1. objective of SEITON is to make your workplace a safe and efficient place to work in. So, such a thing as a
curtain on the cupboard which hide things behind should be eliminated.
7. SEISO(SWEEP) MEANS, “CLEAN YOUR WORKPLACE”.
There is very strongcorrelation between quality of products and cleanliness
of the workplace where the product or service is manufactured. Accordingly,
SWEEP should be practiced everyday, and sometimes, even during the day.
Do not wait until things get dirty. Clean your workplace, including machines and
equipments, tools and furniture, regularly so that they do not have the chance to
get dirty.
Put aside 3 minutes everyday for SWEEP.
You and your colleagues should be responsible for the work area around you.
The janitors and sweepers will, then, look after the common areas only. If you
hope to work in clean and safe environment, it is best for you to create such
environment.
Never throw anything and make it your habit.
Cleaning is also checking.
If you agree, start today.
8. Note:
In addition to 3 minutes for SEISO (SWEEP)for everyday, you can have
weekly 5S time, or monthly 5S day. Benefits of practicing 5S is much
bigger than the time spent for 5S.
Regular cleaning and checking extends the lives of machines and
reduces breakdowns.
Practice of SEISO (Sweep) by the people of the work area reduces
needs foe maintenance staff and janitors/sweepers. Those people
could be shifted to more productive work.
9. SEIKETSU (SANITIZE) MEANS, “MAINTAIN HIGH
STANDARD OF HOUSEKEEPING”
So as not to waste your efforts, do not stop after implementing the initial 3S’s
Create a maintenance system for Housekeeping. Make a schedule for cleaning for
your workplace.
Interdepartmental competition is a very effective means of sustaining and
enhancing people’s interest on 5S.
Note:
Indicate the name(s) of the person who is responsible for the work area and for the
machine.
Regular inspection and evaluation by a special 5S committee members on the level
of 4S by each work area is necessary.
Do not criticize poor cases, but also praise and commend good practices or good
performers.
10. SHITSUKE (SELF–DISCIPLINE) MEANS, “DO THINGS
SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT BEING TOLD OR ORDERED”.
• It is to make everyone practice 4S spontaneously and willingly as habit or way of life.
• There is no other way to foster such culture than practicing 4S’s regularly
until such time comes when everyone becomes fond of 5S.
How:
Treat your workplace as your (own) second home.
You are spending more of your WAKING TIME at your workplace than at home.
Your workplace is an important place where you make money for your self and your
family.
If you hope your home to be clean and comfortable place, why don’t you try to
make your workplace as clean and comfortable as your home.
Managerial people should show good examples…
11. WHAT CAN YOU GAIN FROM 5S
A. INDIVIDUAL
1. 5s Makes Your Workplace More Pleasant
In practicing 5S, you have to start from discussing and agreeing with your
colleagues what items are necessary and unnecessary.
Then you have to discuss and agree what to put where for efficient use by
everyone. And, you have to clean the workplace together with your colleagues.
Such process will foster better human relations among co-employees.
In addition, you will see favourable changes in the working environment
as 5S progresses.
Improved human relations and working environment will make your workplace
pleasant.
12. 2. 5S Makes Your Workplace More Efficient
If you have to look for something and if you have to spend so much time finding
it, you are not only wasting your time. You are wasting your energy and morale,
too.
On the other hand, if everything at your workplace is arranged in good order and
easily available for use, your workflow will always be smooth.
It not only improves your efficiency but also improves the rhythm of your work.
Then you will enjoy your work more.
If you have to work, it is better if you can enjoy it.
3. 5S Improves Your Safety
A clean and tidy environment where everything is properly placed, clear
instructions are readily available and no one throws anything is a safer place to
work with.
Practice of 5S improves your own safety.
You can enjoy your work more with less risk.
13. 4. 5S Improves Quality of Your Work and Your Product/Services
People affect environment On the other hand the environment also affects people.
If you are accustomed to work in a clean and tidy environment, you can develop
your sensitivity so that you can feel and identify any defect in work.
On the contrary, messy and untidy environment will adversely affect your
sensitivity.
B. COMPANY
5S is not only a matter of Housekeeping. It is an integrated approach for
productivity improvement and ensures P Q C D S M to the organization which
practices 5S:
14. P : 5S increases PRODUCTION
Q : 5S improves QUALITY
C : 5S reduces COSTS
D : 5S makes DELIVERY on time
S : 5S improves SAFETY
M : 5S improves MORALE
