the importance of lean in a quality environment 5s

8/9/2019 The Importance of Lean in a Quality Environment 5S

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The Importance of Lean in A Quality Environment

Quality and Lean

Lean production is an assembly-line manufacturing methodology developed originally forToyota and the manufacture of automobiles. It is also known as the Toyota ProductionSystem. The goal of lean production is described as "to get the right things to the right

place at the right time, the first time, while minimizing waste and being open to change".Engineer Ohno, who is credited with developing the principles of lean production,discovered that in addition to eliminating waste, his methodology led to improved productflow and better quality.

Instead of devoting resources to planning what would be required for futuremanufacturing, Toyota focused on reducing system response time so that the productionsystem was capable of immediately changing and adapting to market demands. In effect,their automobiles became made-to-order. The principles of lean production enabled thecompany to deliver on demand, minimize inventory, maximize the use of multi-skilledemployees, flatten the management structure, and focus resources where they wereneeded.

During the 1980s, the set of practices summarized in the ten rules of lean production were

adopted by many manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Europe. The management stylewas tried out with varying degrees of success by service organizations, logisticsorganizations and supply chains. Since the demise of many dot.coms, there has been arenewed interest in the principles of lean production, particularly since the philosophyencourages the reduction of inventory. Dell Computers and Boeing Aircraft haveembraced the philosophy of lean production with great success.

The ten rules of lean production can be summarized:

1.Eliminate waste

2. Minimize inventory3. Maximize flow

4. Pull production from customer demand

5. Meet customer requirements

6. Do it right the first time7. Empower workers

8. Design for rapid changeover

9. Partner with suppliers10. Create a culture of continuous improvement

1. Often organizations think that its a matter of one or the other: quality or Lean.

Sometimes Quality initiatives take a back seat when Lean activities get going. In factthey need to work together.

Lean methodologies give Quality an effective roadmap. Both look at the idea ofwaste removal. When its just a Quality initiative, theres a more narrow definitionof waste. Companies become more focused on point improvement, working on aspecific element of the end-to-end process. Six Sigma activities are goodexamples of this narrow focus on specific elements.

The Lean roadmap keeps you on target, saves you from costly detours or deadends. You apply Quality techniques where they will best improve the end-to-end


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process. Lean keeps you firmly in touch with the big picture and the customer.Otherwise, youll save here and there but ultimately fail to have impact of theproduction process as a whole and your customer may see very littleimprovement. Thats critical in achieving significant and sustainableimprovements to your bottom line.

A lot of companies or consultants focus on one activity to improve. Whether itsTQM, SPC (Statistical Process Control) or 5S they see an issue and grab thetools one at a time. Thats point improvement.

Im a believer that Quality and Lean fit well together. Both emerged from thethinking of W. Edwards Deming. Product quality, considering the entire supplychain and an emphasis on the customer are fundamental for Lean. (In fact,Deming may have been the first person to draw a Value Stream Map as we knowit today)

Starting at the end of the 90s, companies began to see the incredible successthat came with Lean Practice. They often looked at it as a program rather than aphilosophy and leaped to implement its tools on the job. Sometimes the Lean

advocates, in trying to lead the way seemed to be selling the program conceptrather than showing how Lean practice fits and integrates with other companyinitiatives such as Quality (and Six Sigma).

If you create that kind of situation, people in the company cant help but feel thatthis is the new flavour of the month. Theyll tend to sit and ride it out. It becomesthe plan, in effect, and the whole initiative starts to make sense. People see it asan important method to integrate activities, select which tools to use where, andto keep the improvements tightly focused on the overall bottom line. You dontdrop other things to do Lean, you use Lean as your thought process to run yourcompany. It helps you make sure the things you and your group are doing areconsistently focused on the customer. You eliminate all those activities, whichare waste. This is the only way companies will survive in the future.

Lean AdvocatesCompanies that succeed in Lean inevitably have Lean advocates. This can beboth a formal and an informal role or roles (depending on company size). Oftenthis role is that of persuader, reporter, trainer and coach all in one. Being anadvocate or coach usually means you have to depend on influence rather thanpower or line authority to bring people along in the ideas and approaches.

Building a critical mass of support and effort is crucial. Without that, you canbecome a lone doer, and your Lean initiative will fail. Part of that critical mass ofsupport also has to be from senior management. You have to get a high enoughlevel to say yes. Theyre the ones who let you and your teams go in and begin

to improve processes.

Having an advocate doesnt necessarily mean youll be successful, but withoutan advocate you will fail. Your advocate needs to be passionate about thebenefits of Lean. You cant just take someone ready to retire and make him orher the Lean advocate because they dont have anywhere else to go. You needsomeone with a track record, someone who has already shown a passion forreduction of waste, for process improvement.


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Your advocates see the promised land, they know and believe that there will besignificant and lasting improvements. These are the people who will show otherswho have done it the old way and convert them to Lean practice.

Sometimes Lean advocates just appear in an organization. Sometimes you haveto find them. If youre recruiting someone, there are some skills and attributes

you should look for. They need the passion for improvement. They need someskills at influencing and to be able to make presentations to various groups. Itscritical that they have solid credibility within the company and at many levels.They also need a successful track record, perhaps in industrial engineering orquality control.

Most of all, your advocates need patience. They have to keep at it and get themessage out. Other companies that have gone Lean have often had majorsuccess. The metrics are incredible and sometimes colleagues and managerswill look at you like youre making it up. You have to be dogged and work away atthe disbelief.

Your advocates have to be fairly sensitive to the issues facing senior executives.

They have to convince executives who often face tight resources, constrainedexpenditures, pressure for short-term results, and a perennial shortage of time,that this initiative needs more of the same. The advocates have to be somewhathard sell but they also have to remember the needs facing executives. Dont putthem in a position where theres no way out, dont force them into a corner.Resource allocation has to be negotiated and sometimes phased. Advocatesneed to learn this and make it work for the initiative rather than against it.

Lean advocates have to be doers, especially at the beginning. They have to beable to roll up their sleeves and work at it, particularly in the first few years. Theycant just be someone who talks about doing, they have to have a track recordin the company for getting things done, for getting their hands dirty. Its part oftheir credibility.

Working in CommitteesA committee is not necessarily a team and a team is not necessarily acommittee. This is important.

Teams have a common problem to solve. You bring together people involved inthe problem from various roles. Similarly, you would put a team in place toimprove a particular process as part of your overall Lean strategy.

Committees in Lean practice often take the form of a steering group. They give

direction and oversee whats happening on all fronts. They have the big picture,end to end while a team tends to focus on one element.

Cross-functional teams are very important. Sometimes people interpret Leansolely as an engineering or senior management function. To be successful youhave to broaden the levels of involvement and you cant forget employees on theshop floor. They need to be part of the process. You have to communicate whatyoure doing and why. Involving shop floor employees on your Lean teams is acritical step for sustainable success.


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There is another type of group you may want to put together. This is half waybetween a committee and a team. If you have Lean advocates distributedthroughout your organization, you may want to bring them together on a regularbasis. This becomes a forum to share their experiences and to come up with newideas for people to try. The members must avoid trying to convince the othermembers to follow their way, they must be open minded and look foropportunities to learn from each others experiences.

Business Transformation and ChangeLean activities should bring change, otherwise youre not really embracing it. Thiswill be fast change, Lean improvements dont happen at turtle speed. As a result,you need to expect change that will happen quickly. Prepare for it.

Lots of ideas will tumble out as people start to understand Lean. Dont kill theideas until youve had folks kick them around a bit. Use brainstormingtechniques. Youll find that thinking and talking about ideas often makes thembetter. Ideas must fit your Future State Implementation plan.

When someone asks me how you should manage change, I respond that

communication is key. Communicate the goals, what youre trying to do and howyoure going to do it. Let people know at the beginning, help them grab onto it asit goes by. You need people to be on board, following the plan, not just cheerypicking issues. Once your teams are up and running, let them lead the change.You have to have faith. Theyre going to move things around, but youll see theimprovement in a couple of days.

MeasurementMeasurement of results is critical and needs careful management. You have tomeasure the right things to get the right behaviours, and to drive the consistentdirection for the company. Old styles of measurement may not be right for a Leanenvironment. Appropriate measurements have to be in place so that you canreport on the changes and improvements. Senior management has to rely on

their Lean teams not only to make the changes but also to be able to measurethe effects of those changes both operationally and on the bottom line.Measurements should also take into consideration the needs of the customer aswell as customer satisfaction. They shouldnt be restricted to internal use orneeds.

Role of TrainingLean advocates in most companies cant make the improvements without relyingon others. Thats where training comes in to focus. You will need more Leanadvocates and skilled Lean practitioners to get the work done. As well, youllhave to train some people, in depth, on specific Lean tools such as Value StreamMapping and problem solving techniques.

Training and communication are closely linked. You communicate whats goingon and the training helps people understand why. The LEAD hands-on approachto Lean training is very important. You combine theory, shop floor practice andawareness in the sessions. As the individuals learn, operational improvementresults happen simultaneously. The theory is proven right there and then.

Lean and Different IndustriesSome organizations get caught up spending big dollars on automation. Itbecomes the solution to improving profit. Automation is usually about moving


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pieces through areas of the shop floor at high speeds (point velocities). Its alsoabout batches and inventories. What has to be remembered is that Lean practiceis about eliminating waste and producing to a customer demand. One piece flowis a very important concept. It saves money and improves performance and thereare no large capital costs.

Importance of LeanTheres more and more competition worldwide. Its not a level playing field. Foranyone to keep a high standard of living, processes will have to improve. Wehave to cut the waste to be more competitive. Thats the way to cut the expenseof producing goods or services. It doesnt matter what the business is, Leanpractice can cut waste and improve performance.

Key Lean DO

Do get people from various levels involved in Lean implementation.Communicate and remove their fear. Tell them what to expect. Jobs will stayalthough they may change. Remember the two key ingredients: participation fromthe shop floor and active support from senior management. You need both to be

successful. Follow your Future State plan and dont focus on pointimprovements.

Key Lean DONT

Dont confuse the implementation of Lean with downsizing. You have toseparate these activities; if they are tied together you will do irreparable damageto Lean efforts. Dont start Lean if youre in the middle of a downsize. People willrebel. The organizations nay Sayers will focus on downsize as the hiddenagenda for Lean. Its not

IntroductionMany organizations can see the fruits of LEAN implementation reflected in

ongoing improvements to their balance sheets and increased customersatisfaction. Yet, even as these improvements are being made, we discover thatfull potential can only be reached when critical human elements are addressed atthe same time.

Impact of systemic change on human dynamicsThe impact of systemic change on human dynamics, if not considered andproperly managed at the outset, can potentially jeopardize the success of yourLean implementation. If you adopt a model or approach that is specificallyintended to harmonize change with organizational culture, you will:

Help avoid or solve a myriad of problems, challenges and conflicts;

Ensure that everyone involved in, and affected by, systemic change will be better able to implement the concepts fully; and,

Everyone will understand his or her role in attaining and supporting the new focus of the company.


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Resistance to changeLean creates an overall positive outcome within the organization. However, mostorganizations, regardless of their size and population base, will experiencereluctance or strong resistance to a change at some point in its implementation.Successful Lean companies recognize the benefits of educating their people andencouraging them to become involved with this new direction.

Sustaining changeSustainability of these changes will become a reality when employees reachcomfort levels with the Lean process and the new state of the organization.These comfort levels vary for different people or different parts of theorganization. Comfort grows with the use of Lean tools and procedures and,importantly, with work on the human dynamics of the organization. Its the humanside of the implementation that brings necessary ownership of the processes andchanges.

Decision-making and silosAt the value-stream mapping stage, our experience has shown us thatorganizations with inefficiencies in their decision-making usually operate in silos.

For those organizations to succeed, they will have to transform to a culture oftrust and effective communication. Lean and cultural change are interwoven andcomplementary when managed with skills that can be learned.

Building Business MaturityThe best way to achieve sustainable Lean transformation is by acknowledgingand implementing needed cultural shifts. We call this Building Business Maturityand we work with LEAD in enabling organizations to tackle the human side ofchange.

See how prepared your organization is for change. Look over this list and checkoff the things that you currently do well. Are there areas where you wantimprovement? How will you go about making those improvements?

Success to do listCompanies who are successful at change must do the following:

Articulate compelling vision, mission, core values and strategic objectives for their organization;

Build a strong organizational commitment and plan for achieving this vision;Communicate and understand the concepts of a new leadership model for

teams and individuals; a model that encourages organization-wide responsibilityand accountability by building trust and can-do attitudes;

Develop in-house mastery of the roles of coach and mentor for individuals and teams in support of organizational maturity, individual success and increasedproductivity;

Assess, evaluate and know how to respond where needed to ensure strategic alignment to the vision, mission, values, and goals;

Increase productivity and decrease conflict by developing the emotional intelligence capabilities of employees so they understand better:

How they see and manage themselves;

How they see and manage organizational relationships; and

How others see and react to them;


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Foster relationships and partnerships between teams, departments, and individuals in the organization;

Develop employee understanding of the important relationship between corporate strategy, customer satisfaction, employee performance, theorganization and its culture;

Develop high levels of proficiency in communication across the organization (use powerful tools such as inquiry, dialogue, deep listening, and effectivefeedback);

Help employees to use self as the pivotal lever for organizational, cultural, and behavioral change, creating new levels of responsibility and accountability;

Build high performance and self-management in work groups and teams as well as individual mastery in employees to create an empowered, highlymotivated work environment.

Establishing a strong organizational commitmentI call these steps the Business Maturity Competencies for the New LeadershipModel. The model is designed to establish strong organizational commitment to astrategic vision and the plan for realizing it. Employees share a common pictureor story about the future of the organization and communicate that vision with acommon language. The organization acknowledges agreed-upon values thatinfluence organizational behaviour in delivering the operational plan for achievingits vision.

Educate and communicateIn summary, experience has shown us that an organization that has the ability tooperate in a common language with all stakeholders and has a commonunderstanding of the benefits of their new system will continue to thrive.Educating the employees with effective and proper behavioural strategies resultsin buy-in or ownership of any new changes.

Interdependence of systems, processes, and peopleSystems, processes, and people are interdependent. Their synergy can actively

sustain Lean success when one doesnt override the other and where there ismutual respect for the needs of each. The whole organization needs to be onside human change is critical to making this happen.

Kim Salvatore is the founder and President of GAPP Management DevelopmentInc., a firm celebrating its third year of success supporting organization changethrough consulting and training. Kim is an Organizational Development andProject Management specialist who has extensive experience in both the publicand private sectors.

GAPP has developed a unique approach to identifying clients needs, providingthe program and facilitators best suited to respond to them and then conductingfollow-up using traditional methodologies and progressive Internet technologies.

Lean in Different IndustriesSometimes you hear people say at the beginning, Lean doesnt apply to us.Wrong. Lean is a way of thinking, a philosophy. It can apply to any industry. Itsnot a set of tools; its not a Kaizen event. There are many tools that work wellwith Lean and some will fit your situation better than others. Lean planning helpsyou decide which to use, when and where.


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No matter what your business is, you will want to add value for the customer,eliminate waste and reduce lead-time. Whether you apply Lean in manufacturingor in a service industry, the principles stay the same although the tools you selectmay be different.

Customer Focus is EssentialIn Lean practice, the customer is your number one boss. You have to give themwhat they want or you lose business. If people at your company think customersdont know what they want, theres probably not enough communication goingon. Your customers may not fully understand your operations capabilities.

Ultimately its the customer who defines what value they want from a product.Your responsibility is to deliver this value on time and at the lowest possibleprice. Lean helps you do that. Its a simple equation. Eliminate the activities thatadd no customer value and you will be more competitive on price. That meansmore business to you.

Getting people to focus on the customer takes persistence. Communication and

training are key tools to get this going. Many organizations bring customers rightinto the plant. The employees begin to know who the customer is and what theywant. When management keeps talking about the customer, employees think:This must be important.

Many companies send out surveys to determine customer needs. Circulating theresults or pinning them up on bulletin boards helps get the message out. Thisshows which features add value for the customer. Thats what the customer willpay for.

The Value Stream Map (VSM) you develop in Lean starts with the customer andworks back through the production process. VSM is all about identifying valueadded and non-value added steps and activities. Your Future State Map should

plan production process around only those activities that lead to what thecustomer will pay for.

Change ManagementCommunication is key in managing the change process. Youll find a lot of fear inthe plant. People will be worried about losing their jobs. Its like one of thoseurban myths. Theyve heard of the one in a hundred company that used Lean asan excuse to downsize rather than the ninety-nine others who were successfuland grew. Any company that takes that shortsighted approach and cuts jobsdoesnt get it. Their benefits wont be sustained theyre not thinking about

growth.

Most successful Lean organizations actually announce that people wont losetheir jobs through continuous improvement jobs may change but growth is thegoal. If an organization feels that it has to lay off employees because customerdemand has eroded or the company has failed to be competitive, it should do thelayoff before starting Lean implementation. Use Lean to get the plant back intocompetitive shape afterwards.


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The key is to dissociate Lean from any downsize activity. People have to beonside, working together to make improvements and move forward. Feardestroys that momentum.

People fear what they dont understand. Understanding comes through trainingand then seeing the results right away. The key is to learn by doing, whether its

Value Stream Mapping or Continuous Flow, for shop floor or office. Encouragethem to roll up their sleeves and get into it.

The best tool for change management is involvement. You need people from allareas and from all levels of the organization working together to eliminate wasteand identify true value-added activities. It means working more productively, notnecessarily harder.

The Role of Lean Advocates within the OrganizationLean Advocates need to be energetic and optimistic. Theyre selling somethingnew to the company even though Lean itself isnt new. Its been proven effectiveover and over in organizations across North America and worldwide. However itmay be new to your company, and the advocate will be challenged by senior

management to sell the benefits of going Lean.

Youve heard it many times, but its important to remember that Lean requires adifferent mindset. The advocate for Lean has to be prepared for questions, bepatient and willing to explain the concepts more than once to senior managers.They will want solid answers. The advocate has to be more than an enthusiast;he or she has to be extremely knowledgeable about the subject.

A Lean advocate also has to provide motivation. Its important to keep remindingsenior management of the long-term benefits of Lean practice. Traditionalmanufacturing culture is most comfortable in fire fighting mode. When a big firebreaks out, it can push other initiatives, even Lean, to the back burner. Its criticalto keep people motivated and stay on track in order to achieve sustainable and

permanent improvements.

Determination is a big part of the advocates make up. You will always hitobstacles when you introduce something different. People will say things like:That wont work here, Our workforce is different, Our labour requirements aredifferent, or That only works for the XYZ type of industry. You have to bedetermined and well prepared in answering these objections with the facts.

A Lean advocate could come from almost any department in an organization.Common choices are often operations, quality, engineering or finance. Theadvocate will recruit others to the team who complement his or her experienceand skills. Ive seen successful Lean advocates come from shop floor operations,maintenance, engineering, quality and finance. In fact you need to build Lean

teams from all these areas. A broad range of expertise is critical for the Leanproblem solving you do.

As I said earlier, Lean requires a different mindset. Your advocate needs to be alearning kind of person, open minded to possibilities and opportunities. He or shehas to help people look at value from the customers point of view. How often doyou hear people in the plant say We could do so much better if it werent for thecustomer, if we didnt have to do x or y? Once the organization starts Lean


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implementation, people start asking questions like Is this what the customerwants? or Will the customer think this has value? Will they pay for it?

Training to Become LeanTraining leads to involvement and increases communication. It helps peopleunderstand why and helps them acquire Lean skills. Most importantly, its about

learning on the job. You learn it and do it at the same time. Thats crucial forsuccess.

The important thing is to train only when you need to, when its time for people toactually use the tools on the job. There should be no lag at all between learningand application.

At LEAD we teach you how to do the training yourself, in your plant. Ourworkshops lead to results. Our goal is to teach people how to get those resultsthemselves. Were not consultants telling companies what to do.

Most people at the beginning arent sure what tools to use or how to use them.Thats what the workshops teach how to make those decisions for yourselves.

After two LEAD Continuous Flow workshops at the Hermes plant, we went on todo ten of our own and its still ongoing. You get top grade training for your peopleso they in turn can train others in your plant. Your only cost is time and you gethome grown trainers who are an integral part of your organization.

On Joining LEADWhat I liked so much about LEAD is that they were totally focused on getting theknowledge out there. They dont hoard the information; theyre interested inseeing companies succeed by their own efforts. LEAD training makes sure theyknow how to do it right.

LEAD isnt trying to create dependencies. Theyre there if you need some adviceor more training but their whole focus is to enable you to do it yourself.

The other thing that impressed me was their incredible knowledge of the field.These guys have been there and done it. I cant overemphasize how importantthat is.

Lean in Atlantic CanadaThe interesting thing about Atlantic Canada is the high level of education in theworkforce. There are a proportionately high number of post-graduates in Halifaxcompared with any other city in North America. This highly educated workforce isa tremendous advantage.

We also have excellent trade access to the United States and overseas. All ofthe ingredients are here for great business success. Yet people often think thatAtlantic Canada is disadvantaged compared to the rest of Canada. It doesnthave to be that way.

However, one key issue is that many companies here dont have the rightthinking for success. Manufacturing is still doing batch and queue processingrather than one-piece flow. The critical customer focus isnt in place. Lean can


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help change and improve the way we work, make us more competitive, moresuccessful.

Partnerships for initiatives are part of our culture here in Atlantic Canada.Working together we can be more powerful, get more things done.

Saint Marys University has just put together an exciting Lean partnership tointroduce Lean to companies here. ACOA, APICS, Industry Canada and LEADare all involved (read Connie Beans interview on the project here on this website). Thats a great way to bring new ideas and training to a region.

Another wonderful advantage here in the east is that we have so many non-competing industries. That provides a real opportunity to work together and toshare ideas. It will make Lean much more successful and in a shorter period oftime.

Kaizen

Masaaki Imai, 75, is the father of Gemba Kaizen, or the concept ofcontinuous

improvement at the work place. He is also chairman of the Kaizen

Institute, established in 1986 as a

global management consultancy company to help Western companiesimplement Gemba Kaizen. Imai's

client list includes big names like Renault, Bosch, GM (USA and Europe),

Siemens and Philips. InIndia, the Kaizen Institute of India has a list of 11 clients including the Taj

Group of Hotels, Milton

Plastics Ltd, Liberty Shoes and Hi-Tech Gears Ltd.

Imai has authored several books including Gemba Kaizen - a commonsense, low-cost approach to

management, which won the Shingo Prize and Kaizen-the key to Japan'scompetitive success.

In the Capital this week to address a seminar for CEOs and senior

managers on `JIT through Gemba

Kaizen approach', and a series of meetings with leaders of business housesand bodies like PHD

Chambers of Commerce and Industry, NPC and ACMA, Imai took time

off to chat with The FinancialExpress. His most important message to Indian managers: Get close to the

realities of the shop floor,

where all the action is. Excerpts from the interview:

What exactly does Gemba Kaizen mean?

Gemba means `real place' meaning the area where value is actually added,

while Kaizen means continuous

improvement. In a manufacturing company, Gemba would be the shopfloor, whereas in a service


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company it would be the area where there is direct interaction with the

customer. So Gemba Kaizen means improvements in the work place to

reduce costs, cut out waste, improve quality and productivity withoutusing expensive technologies. Gemba Kaizen is a roadmap to global class

standards.

How relevant is Gemba Kaizen in the Indian context?Very relevant. In fact, I would like to put across this message to Indian

managers: Maintain close contact with the reality of the gemba or shop

floor. The Indian manager is very intelligent and well informed on mattersconcerning technology and management practices. But what he lacks is

actual practical knowledge. Managers need to be more hands-on, they

need to step into that imaginary circle on the shop floor and silently

observe the functioning to identify the area that needs improvement,before proceeding to rectify matters.

What are the impediments to implementing Gemba Kaizen?

The greatest impediments are the misconceptions regarding the theory,

primarily that it needs to be done by workers, not managers, whose job isto `supervise'. Typically, management of shop floors has been left to

middle managers and supervisors and very few senior managers are awareof all the changes and problems in this area. The late Taiichi Ohno, VP of

Toyota and father of the Toyota Production System, made it a practice to

visit the shop floor 30 times a day.

What is your recipe for its successful implementation in India?

No company can afford to undermine the importance of kaizen. In most

Indian companies, top management is upbeat on management and quality

concepts. The commitment is clearly there, but unfortunately it usuallygets limited to `poster management', with a plethora of `dos and don'ts'

posters plastered all over the factories. They need to be more in touch with

reality and be ready to dirty their hands. If Gemba Kaizen is implementedproperly, Indian companies can attain world class status in 3-5 years.

How different is the theory in actual practice in Japan, the West and

India?

Companies are the same everywhere. They are usually not in touch with

reality. What differs is really the time it takes for effective translation of

the concept to the shop floor. Times of crisis are usually the best time to

implement kaizen. That explains its success in Japan, where there has beenno dearth of crises. In the modern world, with obsolescence levels

increasing and the demands of the modern consumer getting more

stringent and impatient, Gemba Kaizen is becoming all the more relevant.


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Up front planning is essential to success with 5S

5S remains the most popular improvement program out of all the Lean

Manufacturing Toolbox. This is quite understandable, because it is simple,

effective, and relatively quick to implement. But many implementations run into

trouble, typically producing results that are less than anticipated, or even being

abandoned.

One of the main reasons for program failure is poor planning. Perhaps because

of the apparent simplicity of 5S, managers fail to plan properly, and simply launch

the program. But without an adequate vision of how the 5S program will function

within the company, without specific, measurable goals, and without adequate

resources to support 5S needs and ideas, the implementation usually gets lost in

minor details, and 5S, rather than helping people do a better job, degenerates

into a welter of rules, policies, and procedures that actually interfere with peoples

jobs.

Planning for 5S implementation should follow good project management

procedures. As with all significant programs a company launches, there must be

both a complete understanding of it, as well as commitment to seeing it succeed,

at the top. This is because, to succeed, a program must be completely

integrated into the overall strategy of the company. In line with this strategy, a

vision for what needs to be accomplished, and most importantly, how the

company will benefit, must be developed. The vision must be strong, and

through good communication, shared by the whole company. A strong vision will

answer the question what should we do now? whenever a new stage in the

program is reached, and keeps implementers and users focused on the benefits

even when trouble occurs. Secondly, the program must have goals. Poor

implementations take the approach that you get what you get. This results in

everyone going in different directions, and accepting a wide variety of results as

satisfactory. With clear goals, resources and time can be allocated, and it is

possible to measure progress, and direct efforts efficiently. Correspondingly,

ideas for improvement can be presented, along with the time and resource

requirements for implementation, knowing that they will be approved. Nothing


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kills enthusiasm and progress faster than when implementation teams second

guess management as to what they will approve, and how quickly they will act.

In fact, providing implementation teams with their own budgets, which they can

spend as they see fit, is a strong way to show commitment and trust in the

shared vision, and to get fast results.

The second most common mistake of 5S implementation is the failure to train

adequately at the outset. Upper management and other members of the steering

group must understand 5S, not only in a theoretical way, but from practicing 5S.

This starts with a thorough review of the 5S program, implementation methods,

team concepts, and the role of management. Practical exercises, or a real world

pilot project, should follow. Since most steering group members work in the

office, they should also apply 5S to their own office or work area. These

activities not only provide a practical understanding of 5S and the kinds of issuesthat will need to be addressed throughout the implementation, but also

communicates the commitment of upper management to 5S to the entire

company. The next group to be trained is the implementation team members.

They will be supervisors and team leaders, typically. They require the same

training as upper management, as well as additional training in leading teams.

They will need extensive practical training, through pilot projects. A good

approach is to carry out one pilot program under the leadership of the 5S advisor

(a consultant or internal resource fully experienced in all aspects of 5S), and then

to carry out a second one on their own. When the results are satisfactory, the

program can then be launched company wide. Again, all team members whether

they participate in the implementation, or simply sustain the system once it has

been put in place, must understand the vision and goals, and how the 5S system

will work in their work area. The pilot projects are key in this regard, as they

provide an example of what 5S is, as well as having served as the proving

ground for the standards and auditing process that will ultimately ensure the long

term success of 5S.

5S-CANDOClearing up, Arranging, Neatness, Discipline,

Ongoing improvement


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The basic concept, per Rudyard Kipling's The

'Eathen

The 'eathen in 'is blindness bows down

to wood an' stone;

'E don't obey no orders unless they is 'is

own;'E keeps 'is side-arms awful: 'e leaves

'em all about,

An' then comes up the regiment an'pokes the 'eathen out.

All along o' dirtiness, all along o' mess,

All along o' doin' things rather-more-or-less,

All along of abby-nay, kul, an' hazar-

ho,Mind you keep your rifle an' yourself

jus' so!

abby-nay = "Not now." kul =

"Tomorrow." hazar-ho = "Wait a bit."

Gettin' clear o' dirtiness, gettin'

done with mess,

Gettin' shut o' doin' things

rather-more-or-less;Not so fond of abby-nay, kul,

nor hazar-ho,

Learns to keep 'is rifle an''isself jus' so!

...Keep away from dirtiness --

keep away from mess.Don't get into doin' thingsrather-more-or-less!

Let's ha' done with abby-nay,

kul, an' hazar-ho;Mind you keep your rifle an'

yourself jus' so!

5S-CANDO

1. Seiri (clearing up)

o Your wastebasket is your friend.

Disney theme parks have

plenty of waste receptacles.

At Ford's River Rouge plant,a waste container was within six

steps of any position (Norwood,

1931).

o E-bay also is your friend

Serviceable but unwanted

equipment (even forklifts and

machine tools) can be auctioned off.o Three-tier classification

Frequently-used items at

workstation Regular use: near workstation


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Rare use: keep outside the

work area

2. Seitori (arranging)o Every tool should have a place.

Socket wrench boxes have

specific niches for each socket Draw outlines on the wall for

each tool

3. Seiso (neatness)

o Keeping everything clean makes it

easier to locate leaks and dropped parts. It

also keeps dirt out of the equipment and theproduct.

o Cleaning was continuous at Ford's

River Rouge plant. This was where the long-

handled window cleaning sponge,which has a channel through its

handle, was invented. Air suction systems provided

"scores upon scores of invisible

brooms that not only keep air andlungs clean, but greatly reduce the

task delegated to [brooms] of corn

and fibre" (Norwood, 1931. Ford:Men and Methods).

4. Shitsuke (discipline)

o

Per Kipling, "Mind you keep yourrifle and yourself just so."o Preventive maintenance as well as

cleaning must be routine. Build them into

the work instructions. Maintenance logs show that

cleaning and preventive maintenance

were performed to schedule. ISO 9000 prescribes a strict

interaction between work

instructions (procedures or 3rd tier

documents) and logs (qualityrecords)

o Frederick Winslow Taylor's Shop

Management (1911) called specifically for

scheduled preventive maintenance.

5. Seiketsu (ongoing

improvement)


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o Ongoing improvement is, as we have

seen, driven by standardization and best

practice deployment.o Do not let friction or waste remain

part of any job by "working around" the

problem.

Seitori (arranging)

Plate VII says, "A section of the reverse tool room in a plant under

scientific management. At the right, notice that the

mnemonic symbol for each tool is on a little card above it."The benefits of "seitori" were well known to American

manufacturers:

In the average shop, these bolts [forclamping work to machines] lie around onthe floor: rarely is there a full assortment

accessible. Needing four-inch [102mm]

bolts, say, the mechanic looks around forthem, fails to find a full set, and concludes to

use six-inch [152 mm] bolts. Blocking up is

necessary and he probably has to screw the

nut down an extra inch. Because of the roughcare the bolts get, the thread may be

damaged, and he has trouble in getting the

nut down. In many cases, as motion studiesand observations have shown, he consumes

from ten to twenty times as many minutes as

the clamping ought to take.

Now, each instructions card specifies, inhundredths of an hour, the time allowed for

setting the work in the machine. Such

specification would be useless, of course,unless the proper blocks and bolts were

provided for the workman's use. So the planning

department sees that a full supply of blocks and bolts ofvarying lengths are kept in the tool racks. With each job,

the mechanic receives the particular size of bolt best suited

to the task, just as though these were standard machine

tools instead of accessories usually neglected. Furthermore,before they are restored to the rack after use, every thread

and nut is inspected to make sure they are still in perfect


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condition. Try any bolt in the tool room and the nut turns

easily under your fingers.

Except by comparison of the time consumed in certainoperations before and after the reorganization, no

conception can be gained of the unbelievable wastesattending some of the less common processes. Now

every part has its symbol and its place in the stores room;every operation in assembling has been standardized (The

System Company. 1911.How Scientific Management isApplied. London: A. W. Shaw Company, Ltd.).

Seiso (neatness) at the Ford Motor Company and its

subsidiaries

The first job was to clean up that is always the first thing

to do in order to find out what you are about. There is atradition that all kinds of mining have to be dirty. We

cannot afford to have dirt around it is too expensive.

This [mining] camp looks like a suburban colonyeverything is painted and kept painted a light color, so the

least bit of dirt will show. We do not paint to cover up dirt

we paint white or light gray in order that cleanlinessmay be the order of things and not the exception (Henry

Ford, 1926, Today and Tomorrow, 48).

Put all machinery in the best possible condition, keep it that

way, and insist on absolute cleanliness everywhere in orderthat a man may learn to respect his tools, his surroundings,

and himself.

...Give a man a good tool a fancy polished tool and hewill learn to take care of it. Good work is difficult

excepting with good tools used in clean surroundings.

(Today and Tomorrow re: the Detroit, Toledo, & Ironton

Railroad)

Shitsuke (discipline)

Preventive maintenance at the Ford Motor Company:

"machines do not often break down, for there is

continuous cleaning and repair work on every bit of

machinery in the place."

The gangs of mills are on individual arbors, so as to beremoved from the machine and replaced as unit assemblies.


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Five tool-grinders are constantly employed in keeping up

these gang-mill assemblies, several complete sets of which

are used, so there is no delay in changing.The regular practice is to change these gang-mill

assemblies once in four hours, removing them from the

milling machine before the work shows any sign of notbeing within gauge limits (Arnold, Horace Lucien, and

Faurote, Fay Leone. 1915.Ford Methods and the FordShops. New York: The Engineering Magazine. Reprinted1998, North Stratford, NH: Ayer Company Publishers,

Inc.)

Frederick Winslow Taylor on scheduled preventive maintenance

Notices "come out at proper intervals throughout the

year for inspection of each element of the system and the

inspection and overhauling of all standards as well as theexamination and repairs at stated intervals of parts of

machines, boilers, engines, belts, etc., likely to wear out orgive trouble, thus preventing breakdowns and delays"

(Taylor, Frederick Winslow. 1911. Shop Management.

New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers)

The machines of the country are still driven by belting. Themotor drive, while it is coming, is still in the future. There

is not one establishment in one hundred that does not leave

the care and tightening of the belts to the judgment of the

individual who runs the machine, although it is well knownto all who have given any study to the subject that the most

skilled machinist cannot properly tighten a belt without the

use of belt clamps fitted with spring balances to properlyregister the tension. And the writer showed that belts

properly cared for according to a standard method by a

trained laborer would average twice the pulling power andonly a fraction of the interruptions to manufacture

[downtime] of those tightened according to the usual

methods. The loss now going on throughout the countryfrom failure to adopt and maintain standards for all small

details is simply enormous (Taylor, Frederick Winslow.

1911. Shop Management. New York: Harper & BrothersPublishers).

Under ISO 9000,

Work instructions should specify scheduled preventive

maintenance. ("Say what you do.")


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Maintenance logs (quality records) must show that it has been done

according to the schedule. ("Do what you say.")

WHAT IS 5S, AND WHY DO WE WANT TO DO IT?

5S represents 5 disciplines for maintaining a visual workplace. These arefoundational to Kaizen and a manufacturing strategy based "Lean

Manufacturing" concepts. 5S is the starting point for improvement

activities that ensure our companys survival.

The 5 disciplines are:

1. SORT- Remove all items from the workplace that are not needed for

current operations. Leave only the bare essentials.

Targets excess inventory, obsolete items, quality defects, unneeded

tools/equipment

Will use red tags, local and central red tag holding areas; Account

for discarded items

Take before and after pictures

2. SET IN ORDER Arrange needed items so that they are easy to find,

use and put away.

Consider motion economy

Use painting, outlining and signboard strategies, Visual 5S

3. SHINE Sweeping, wiping-off equipment, painting and assuringeverything stays clean.

Create 5S schedules for painting

Must create cleaning inspection checklists

Create current and future shine targets

4. STANDARDIZE Method to maintain the first 3 disciplines (sort, set-in-order, shine)

Prevention steps for clutter-suspension, incorporation, elimination

Integrate 3S duties into regular work with 5S job cycle charts, 5minute 5S, visual 5S activities

5. SUSTAIN A top-down support of the ongoing 5S process.


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Must create the conditions to support 5S

Allocate time

Create awareness

Provide a structure

Show support

Offer rewards and recognition Encourage training/participation

The First Discipline

SORT

Sort: This means that you remove all items from the workplace that arenot needed for current production. You must first ask, "what job is

performed here?" Leave only the bare essentials for the job. When in

doubt, toss it out!

Why?... When the sort discipline is well implemented:

problems in the work "flow" are reduced / throughput is

increased

communication between workers is improved

product quality is increased

wasted space is reduced wasted time looking for parts or tools is reduced

overstocking is avoided

The Red-Tag Strategy:

This is simply a method for identifying potentially unneeded items in the

factory or warehouse, evaluating whether they are needed, and dealingwith them appropriately. As implied, red tags are used to identify items

removed from the work area for evaluation.

In order to implement red-tagging effectively, a red-tag holding area must

be created. People tend to be more ready to let go of questionable items ifthey are not needed after a given time of review. A red-tag holding area is

an area set aside for use in storing red-tagged items that need further

evaluation. Each department or production area that participates in red-tagging should create a local red-tag holding area to manage the flow of

red-tagged items within the department or local production area. If items


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are not needed in the area, they can be reviewed in a central red-tagholding area, created to manage the flow of items that cannot be disposed

of by individual departments.

There are seven steps in the red tag process:

1. Launch the red tagging project

2. Identify red tagging targets (specify the types of items and the

physical work areas to be evaluated)3. Set red-tagging criteria. Ask three questions:

o Is it needed?

o In what quantity?

o Where does it need to be located?

4. Make red-tags (note: these are already made; see Administrative

Assistant)5. Attach the tags

6. Evaluate the tags7. Document results of red-tagging

What is my job function(s)?

Think of an item in your workspace that is not needed.

The Second Discipline

Set-In-Order

Set-in-Order: Once Sort has occurred, this step ensures tools needed for a

job are in place and arranged so that they are easy to find, use, and putback.

Why? It eliminates many types of waste in production and clerical

activities. Examples are waist of looking for a tool and motion waste.

Another important reason to Set-in-Order is that orderliness is the core ofstandardization. The workplace must be orderly before standardization can

be implemented effectively.

Visual controls: Devices used as you Set-in-Order to communicate the

standards for how work should be done. Make it obvious at a glance!

Implementing:

1. Decide on appropriate locations


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Consider how to store tools and jigs

Consider principles of motion waste.

o Motion waste is any motion in a process that does not add

value. Look for wasted motion and analyze carefully why

this motion waste has occurred. This analysis can help us to

discover methods of manufacturing that approach the zero-waste mark.

o The 5S Map is a map of the work area used to evaluate

current locations of parts, jigs, tools, equipment, andmachinery, and to decide best locations for these items

based on these two sets of principles.

2. Identify best locations once they have been decided.

(A place for everything, everything in its place!)

Signboard and Painting Strategies Identify: What? Where? Howmany?

5S Map Map out locations of equipment in the work area

Color-Coding Strategy - Distinguish use of tools, parts, etc. by

color

Outlining Strategy Draw outlines of tool/jig storage locations

Can I think of an example of how to use color-coding?

An example of signs is tool rack labels. Think of any more?

The Third Discipline

Shine

SHINE: Keeping everything clean and readily usable.

Why? One of the key purposes of cleaning is to keep all equipment in topcondition so that it is always ready to be used. When the third pillar is not

well implemented, the problems that arise include: poor employee morale,

safety hazards, equipment breakdowns, and an increased number ofproduct defects.

Implementing: (5 Steps)


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1. Determine Shine targets What is to be shined?

2. Determine Shine assignments Who is responsible?

3. Determine Shine methods How will it be shined?4. Prepare Shine tools What is needed to shine?

5. Implement Shine (everyones responsibility in a work area)

1. 5S Schedules Have a plan2. 5 Minute Shine Quick & easy!

Make it a habit! Once daily cleaning and periodic major cleanups

are a habit, inspection is incorporated into the Shine procedures.

This turns "cleaning" into

"Cleaning/ Inspection."- Places a greater emphasis on the

maintenance of machines and equipment.

Implementation Steps:

2. Determine cleaning/inspection targets

3. Assign cleaning/inspection jobs4. Determine cleaning/inspection methods

5. Implement cleaning/inspection, using all your senses to

detect abnormalities (unusual vibrations, odors, etc.)6. Correct equipment problems by repairing all defects

immediately or (if your team cant repair) making a formal

request to the maintenance team to schedule the repair.

Implementation Tools:

Cleaning/Inspection Checklists

Checklists of maintenance activities needed.

How can using all my senses find problems when I

clean/inspect?

The Fourth Discipline

Standardize


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STANDARDIZE: This means creating a consistent way to carry

out tasks and procedures. Everyone does it the same (documented)

way. Make it a habit!

Why?: Without Standardize, improvements made with the first

three disciplines would soon be lost as new employees are hired,people forget, etc. Standardize ensures sort, set-in-order, and shine

are maintained in their fully implemented state.

Implementing: Done in two steps: Making It A Habit and

Prevention

Making it a habit:

7. Assigning three discipline job responsibilities

8. Integrating three pillar duties into regular work duties

9. Checking on the maintenance of the three pillars

Everyone must know exactly what they are responsible for doing

and exactly when, where, and how to do it. The five disciplines

must become part of the normal work. 5S work must be brief,efficient, and habitual. ( K.I.S.S.)

Tools

o 5S Job Cycle Charts (known responsibilities)

o Visual 5S (makes status of 5S obvious at a glance)

o Five-Minute 5S (brief, efficient, habitual)o Standardization Level Checklist (evaluation; tours)

o 5S Checklists for Factories.

Prevention: (Taking it to the next level)

Unbreakable standardization means making Sort, Set in Order,

and Shine procedures "unbreakable", where its difficult or

impossible to do a task wrong. The three aspects of unbreakable

standardization are:

Preventive Sort procedures - find ways to prevent unneeded items fromaccumulation in a workplace by keeping them from entering it!

Preventive Set in Order procedures Keep Set-in-Order from breaking

down by making it difficult or impossible to put things in the wrong place.

1. Use the 5 "Why", 1 "How" approach (5W1H)2. Suspension


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3. Incorporation

4. Elimination

(3) Preventive Shine procedures - Treat problems at the source.Get as close as you can to the problem.

How can the 5W1H tool be used to keep an area from getting

dirty?

How can visual 5S be used to help distinguish normal vs.

abnormal?

The Fifth Discipline

Sustain

The fifth pillar, Sustain, means to make a habit of properly maintaining

correct procedures over time. No matter how well implemented the first

four disciplines are, improvement gains will be lost and 5S doomed tofailure without a commitment to sustain it! 5S does not end at the

conclusion of the 5S event. We must make 5S part of our work "culture"

and a thorough habit.

Why? Ask yourself, "In your life in general, "why do I commit tosustain a particular course of action?" Usually, your decision is

based on greater rewards for doing something than not doing it.

Similarly, the rewards of implementing the five pillars are greaterfor you than the rewards if they are not!

The last discipline is unique in that it cannot be implemented by a

set of techniques. Neither can Sustain be measured. However,

conditions and structures can be created to help Sustain thecommitment to 5S activities.

Tools to help Sustain:

o 5S Slogans

o 5S Posterso 5S Photo Exhibits

o Story boards

o 5S Newsletterso 5S Pocket Manuals

o 5S Department Tours

o 5S Months

o Success Stories


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o Etc. (What motivates? Be creative!)

You may be able to think of a few youve already seen used!

Why is this discipline important?

Am I willing to commit to 5S in order to reap the benefits?

How can I influence the culture of my work environment to help

"make it a habit"?

5S PROJECTS AGENDA

5. What is 5S, and why do we want to do it?

6. Define the target of our 5S project:

7. Define the schedule for performing our 5S project:

8. A meeting will be held prior to each days activities to plan

and schedule what will be done (daily). The conclusions of

chapters 3-7 in 5S for Operators handbook &/or thetraining summary pages will be used to structure each days

activities.

9. Overview training of project members in 5S (Day 1 only).

10. A wrap-up meeting will be held to review what was

accomplished (daily).

11. Review and document results (at conclusion of 5S project)

Note: "Before" pictures should be taken on day 1

12. Celebrate conclusion of 5-s effort and results!

Note: This usually includes a picture board and a tour


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Another version

There is another version of 5S that is in circulation.

There the list goes as follows.

1. Sort: Decide which things you need to accomplish your work.

2. Straighten: Decide what are the things you do not need. You should getwhat you need in 30 seconds.

3. Sweep: perform maintenance regularly.

4. Standardise: Standardise the procedures. Anybody should be able to

follow them.

5.Self Discipline: Make the employees a party to the whole programme.

Educate them.

Results can be

Reduced accidents because of cleaner environs.Improvement in the morale of the workers due to the elegance of the

place.

Reduced lead time and enhancement in production.

Better inventory management.Improved discipline at work.

Better impression on the visitors. And better business.

And also

If not understood properly it can boil down to periodical cleaning only!

Events in the activity.

Decide upon the teams in each of the units.

Get all the individuals trained.Give them reading material and also the control boards.

Variation in each place to be made clear.

Safe working environment. Material under protection.

Apply your health and safety standards to those of 5S. Synergise.Appoint responsible people as leaders.

Apply the methods to individual work place.Keep reviewing occasionally.

Be careful that the following does not happen.


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5S is aprogram that is not separate from the value stream plan. The 5S

program gets intermingled with all of the other programs that the company

is currently implementing. It should be treated as something that willimprove and add to all the other programmes.

As a program, 5S enthusiasm peters out after awhile and it disappears.

Not too many have been able to truly 'sustain' it.

Making it a plant-wide program draws huge resources that could have been used to improve the value streams according to the value stream

plan.

You could be conducting 5S routines on areas that will radically change or disappear according to the value stream plan. (Wasted effort).

Many 5S programs don't consider ergonomic analysis which is an

integral part of having things in the right place.Massive training is conducted, but the skills not immediately used by

everyone, causing waste and low knowledge retention.

5S Is Not Really Bad

Primarily, 5S attacks the wastes of motion, and transportation. It does this by removing items that are in the way, and placing needed items in the

right place to reduce motion and transport.

It helps remove variability (allowing production to takt) by

standardizing where things can be found, and making everything visual.As a by-product it improves working conditions by making things

cleaner, brighter, and safer.

Having said all this, the most effective way to implement 5Sfor your

money is to implement it as value stream improvements are being made.

Not try to do it as a program. Each time a cell is created, or a pull system

implemented, the team should use 5S principles to eliminate more waste.

They should combine this with some sound ergonomic analysis too. Thisway you eat the elephanta bite at a time, rather than trying to swallow it

at once.

The role of a 5S Program Leader becomes one of being the expert advisor

to the implementation teams and the value stream managers, rather thantrying to manage a large 5S program. As the teams do a kaizen, you are in

there teaching them about 5S in a just-in-time manner. They then

immediately practice what you taught, and thereby retain it.

Case Study

An executive at a company recently told that their 5S program did not

yield the results that they had expected. Instead of implementing it as part


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of a value stream plan, 5S was implemented as a program. Things got

brighter and cleaner - and the employees were happy with the better

environment - but there was little actual return on the investment of timeand money on the bottom line. In hindsight, the executive wished that 5S

could be implemented as part of the value stream plans.

the importance of lean in a quality environment 5s

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