Workplace Organization

So it’s the end of the year. Have you reviewed your workplace environment yet? Is your workplace is streamlined, efficient, and a cohesive unit? Depending on your industry and busy seasons, it’s best to take an audit during the lulls of your work. If you’re in retail, then these two shopping weeks probably aren’t the best time for you. We like to start fresh in the New Year with a plan in mind on how to improve production. We follow ISO standards, but also take into consideration a concept called 5S. Companies have applied 5S and typically regard it as a process unto itself. The term 5S is derived from five Japanese words, seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke, that describe a process to organize the workplace. A rough translation into English is- 5S: “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Most people, when they are asked the purpose of 5S cite safety, discipline, employee morale, and reduced waste of motion. To cut to the chase, the true purpose of 5S is to spot problems quickly. The biggest issue is sustaining 5S in the workplace organization. Supporting staff must have all the tools they need to sustain, self-audit and continuously improve the 5S program. The missing element is often the simple requirements of management. If someone doesn’t follow a formal policy for safety, doesn’t come to work on time, or doesn’t do an assigned task as specified, there are consequences. Whether those consequences consist of coaching, discipline or even firing, it is simply not OK to ignore the standards. The process fails without everybody’s commitment. It’s 5S without all the “S” …   -KM