This document outlines a step-by-step approach to implementing the 5S methodology in workplaces, focusing on maintaining cleanliness, organization, and continual improvement. It details the five steps: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain, along with specific actions for each step to engage employees and enhance workplace culture. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of management commitment, regular audits, and employee training for successful and sustained implementation.

1. 5S
A STEP-BY-STEP
APPROACH
TO IMPLEMENT 5S AT YOUR
WORKPLACE
This document is a part of the training materials from Hash Management Services LLP
for educating and helping their clients implement 5S techniques at their workplace.
To know more about us, visit www.hashllp.com or reach us at pananth@hashllp.com
HASH MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLP

2. • A set of five words starting with “S” – about good housekeeping
• Five steps to the culture of keeping the work place clean, organized,
systematic and Safe
• A foundation for all improvements and Lean Journey
• Every associate is engaged and empowered.
• Reveal the wastes and their causes in the process
not seen by observation.
• To put it simply “Work Place Organization”
• Continual Process
What is 5S?
CULTURE
OF THE
COMPANY
Page 2
1. SORT
Separate Items which
are required and
unwanted. Dispose
unwanted items
2. SET IN ORDER
Arrange all items based
on the place of
requirement. Facilitate
easy retrieving
3. SHINE
Keep the workplace
clean (everyday).
Follow Preventive
Maintenance
4. STANDARDIZE
Create Visual
Indicators, SOPs and
ensure training for all
employees regularly
5. SUSTAIN
Regular Audits, Internal
Competitions, Rewards
and Recognitions.
Continual Improvement

3. STEPS EXPLANATION
1S SORT
Separate items which are required and not-
required. Dispose the items which are not
required
2S SET IN ORDER
Arrange all the required items based on the
place of requirement. “A place for everything
and everything in its place”
3S SHINE
Clean your machines, workplace daily. Follow
a cleaning schedule. Follow Preventive
Maintenance for machines
4S STANDARDIZE
Ensure all the above 3 steps are followed by
all the employees in the company. Create
Visual Indications, SOPs so that the best
practices don’t slip back to original
condition.
5S SUSTAIN
5S becomes a culture of the organization.
Regular audits, training, competitions,
rewards and recognitions ensure that 5S
sustains in the organization. There is no end
to 5S and has to be a part of continual
improvement
Steps in implementing
5S?
Page 3

4. Page 4
1. SORT
• Take Pictures of the area and display in a notice board
• Include all the members in the area for segregating required and
not-required items in their workplace
• All the unwanted items to be sent to a Red Tag Area with a red tag
mentioning the date, item name and why it is not required
• Senior Management to focus on disposing the items in the Red Tag
area
• Items that are required only would go to the subsequent steps
2. SET IN ORDER
• After Sorting out the unnecessary items, the needed items have to
be classified by use and arranged as following:
• To minimize search time and effort
• To facilitate easy return and retrieval
• Place each item in a designated address
• In simple terms - “A place for everything and everything in its place”
3. SHINE
• This involves cleaning the work place including machines, tools,
floor, walls and other areas.
• On cleaning, a lot of abnormalities like cracks, loose nuts, bolts, oil
leakage, loose wires, etc. can be detected and rectified

5. Page 5
• Follow Preventive Maintenance Check list provided by the Machine
Manufacturer - as per the schedule
• Cleaning is inspection and a health check
• Clean your workplace everyday - for 10 minutes
• Maintain a cleaning schedule at your workplace
4. STANDARDIZE
• Maintain all the above “3S” regularly by providing Visual Controls,
SOPs, Training and use of colors for identification
• This stage is when 5S become systematic and starting to become
the culture of the organization
5. SUSTAIN
• 5S becomes a part of the every day work and becomes a culture of
the company
• The greatest benefits of 5S is to help people to focus and acquire
Self-Discipline. People’s behaviour is a reflection of the environment
• Conduct regular 5S audits and recognise the teams and give them
rewards. Conduct 5S Slogan Contests, Internal competitions, regular
training to employees (by employees)
• Everybody should feel proud to take part in 5S

6. Before we get started…
1. Form a 5S Apex Team to implement 5S in your company. This should
contain members from all important functions. Can be a mix of
supervisors, operators and managers
2. Divide the company in to multiple zones (based on the layout) and
give names to each zone (interesting names ?)
3. Implementation should happen zone-wise. All the employees in a
zone are part of the 5S team of that zone.
4. One member would act as the 5S zone leader. He/She would also be
a part of the 5S Apex Team
5. Train the 5S Apex Team on 5S. This team should train the zonal 5S
teams regularly
5S Apex Team
(All Zone Leaders)
Zone 1
Zone Leader
and
members
Zone 2
Zone Leader
and
members
Zone 3
Zone Leader
and
members
Zone 4
Zone Leader
and
members
Do not create a “Supervisors Only ” team. Companies with
successful implementation teams had included members from
various levels including Operators, Migrant labourers, Women
and from Non-production areas.
Tip #1
Page 6

7. Implementation
method?
1. Identify a Pilot Zone for starting 1S (Which
zone is looking very bad? and can we
achieve faster results there? Will the team
cooperative?
2. Start 1S in this Pilot Zone (max. time period
- 7 to 10 days and document the benefits /
progress
3. Move to a next zone for implementing 1S.
In the first pilot zone, start 2S.
4. People who did 1S in the Pilot Zone would
act as the trainers for the employees in the
second Pilot Zone.
5. Move to 3rd Zone (for 1S). Do 2S in second
zone and 3S in the first zone.
6. Horizontal deployment across the company
Zone 1
1S
Zone 1
1S
Zone 2
1S
Zone 1
2S
1st Pilot Zone
2nd Pilot Zone
After 10 days
Zone 1
1S
Zone 2
1S
Zone 1
2S
Zone 2
2S
Zone 3
1S
Zone 1
3S After 20 days
3rd Pilot Zone
Page 7
5S Kick-Off

8. How to Sustain 5S?
1. Commitment and Support from the Top management
2. Continuous training for the employees
3. Regular audits on 5S by the Apex Team
4. Frequent visits by the senior management to the shop floor
5. Involvement from all the employees of the company across levels
and hierarchies
6. Measure and Monitor the improvements - Put them for display
7. Inter-department competitions, 5S Slogans, Reward systems,
Ownership of areas by members and many other innovative ways
can be done to ensure sustenance
Commitment from the Senior Management is very
essential in sustaining the initiatives. Regular walk-through
in the shop floor and suggesting ideas should be a part of
Senior Management’s responsibility
Tip #2
A 5S Deck is provided to the Apex Team. This contains
Powerpoint presentations, Videos, 5S templates for audit and
many more. For further reading and suggestions, contact your
company’s 5S Apex Team.
Hash Management Services LLP works
with manufacturing companies in
improving their business operations
through Lean Manufacturing and Supply
Chain Management initiatives.
Visit www.hashllp.com for more details and to download FREE training materials that
can help your team implement some of these best practices
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