This is how 5S can help you keep your workplace organised

NewsOctober 14, 2021 14:18

What does your work desk look like? Is it cluttered and strewn with documents all over? Or is it so immaculately neat that you could become the next Marie Kondo?

 “A messy desk is the sign of a creative mind”-- is this always true? This may be a common claim amongst some individuals who are unable to get rid of clutter and take a really long time to search for misplaced things at their workstations every day.

If your bosses or co-workers had commented before on your messy desk, you may be interested to know that the Japanese 5S system could come in handy to help you become a more organised and efficient worker.

What is 5S exactly?

According to a book for Japanese Engineers on Effective Communication by Rochelle Kopp,
5S refers to the following--

Seiri: Straighten up – decide what you need.
Seiton: Store – everything in its place.
Seiso: Shine – clean it up.
Seiketsu: Sanitize – make it safe.
Shitsuke: Strive – to complete these every day.

As further explained in this article, seiri (整理)  refers to the need to differentiate between essential and non-essential items at the workplace and to eliminate the unnecessary. Seiton (整頓) means that all essential items should be set orderly and neatly so they can be retrieved safely and quickly. Seiso (清掃) suggests that we should shine and clean everything in order to spot hidden problems (oil leaks, water drops, etc.). Then, we should also Seiketsu (清潔) by scanning the work area for outdated, poisonous, and otherwise dangerous materials and removing them. Lastly, Shitsuke (しつけ) refers to us sustaining and standardising the above four actions so that they become part of the daily routine.

 

Can 5S be implemented in my workplace?

Although 5S originated from the manufacturing sector at Toyota, it has since been adopted by many other industries due to its usefulness. Yes, even communal kitchens, hospitals, schools, government organizations, and offices employ 5S as well.
Before the implementation of 5S, spaces tend to be confusing and cluttered. After 5S is being adopted with the aid of visual markers, things are in their rightful places and it would be easier to spot potential problems when abnormalities are detected.

A key idea of 5S is that workspaces should be neat and easy to navigate so that workers can perform their duties efficiently. As such, visual cues such as labels and signs, floor marking tape or shadows boards, and toolbox foam could help the workplace to be more organised. For example, floor marking tapes can be placed on shelves, cabinets, or other surfaces to mark out where tools and equipment are placed so as to highlight potential hazards. Businesses can also print labels and signs to indicate the drawer contents or show workers where to store certain items. If there are many tools involved, shadow boards or toolbox foam with cutouts of tools could be placed prominently to showcase missing items and signal to employees exactly where the tools should be positioned and returned to after using them.

In this way, 5S helps us to achieve “a place for everything and everything in its place”.

 

Benefits of using 5S

​​Those who are still on the fence about whether to implement 5S in their workplaces may consider the costs of setting up 5S. There are indeed some upfront costs such as floor marking tapes and labels, coupled with the need to train staff on how to recognise and practice 5S. However, over the long term, 5S helps to keep work processes running smoothly and upkeep safety in the workplace. With the reduction in accidents and mishaps, businesses usually save money in the long run. Besides, research has also shown that individuals with messy workspaces tend to spend between 16 to 55 minutes a day looking for misplaced items, which is a big waste of time and reduces productivity.
 

Are you motivated to keep your work area neat and clutter-free after knowing about the 5S? How can you get started with the 5S at your workplace today?