New: 5S training package 5S training package with internet videos, facilitator manual and specific examples for workplace organisation and standardisation! Now available in English, Spanish, Italian and Dutch. This training material has been produced in co operation with Philips Electronics, Smit Transformers, Nacco Materials Handling Group, Minkels and Timmerije (injection molding). The 5S method improves employees' ownership and leads to substantial quality improvement, cost reduction as well as product and process safety. You can get an impression by clicking on the image or link. The file size is 4.6 MB. In case your browser does not automatically start your media player, you can download this file by right clicking the mouse and select: "save file". You can then play the file from your computer. "This training package has helped us enormously to implement 5S in a structural way, as well as getting our operators and management team behind it. The teams themselves are now taking the initiative." Fred Waij, TPM manager, Heineken Breweries.

Tour Japan's Leading Manufacturing Companies! • Get exclusive access to Japanese Lean executives • All of the necessary arrangements are carefully made to ensure comfort and security • Experience world-class Lean practices as well as both modern and traditional Japanese culture • Group discounts are available "Excellent well-organized trip. Exceeded all expectations. Definitely an experience of a lifetime. I highly recommend every Lean learner to take advantage of this tour!" Jonathon Hutchinson, CEO Gormick Corporation Topics covered are: TPS, Employee Empowerment, SMED, TPM, Lean Accounting, Flow, 5S Office, 5S Shop floor, Waste Identification, Mistake-Proofing, Just-In-Time, VSM. Click here for the Japan Tour Itinerary Click on the banner for more detailed information!

Introduction
The 5S method is a structured program to implement workplace organisation and standardisation. 5S improves safety, work efficiency, improves productivity and establishes a sense of ownership. And a well organised workplace motivates people.

Many companies apply techniques like Just In Time (JIT) production, Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) or Total Quality Management (TQM) to realise and maintain the high standards their customers demand. And 5S is one of these techniques, the steps for systematic workplace organisation and standardisation. The programme is called 5S, since all steps start with an "S".

Sort deals with the contents of a workplace, and removes all items that are not needed there.

Set in Order refers to "a place for everything, and everything in its place" to enable easy acces to needed items.

Shine refers not just to cleaning, but to "being proud" about the way the workplace is organised.

Standardise refers to having standards that everyone has to adhere to. Visual management is an important aspect to facilitate easy undersanding of these standards.

Sustain refers to training of all employees and communication to all employees to ensure 5S application.

The 5S management program facilitates an excellent performance:

Safety: a well organised and orderly workplace is a safer workplace. 5S activities remove clutter, visual indicators alarm people for hazardous situations.

Improving production efficiency: 5S supports a smooth production process in various ways. Searching for tools is eliminated, flow principles are applied, tools storage is done where they are needed most. Location indicators visualise how things have been organised, and non conformaties are seen at once.

Quality improvement: Daily activities like inspection help to keep the production process in the right condition. Defects are prevented, because deviations are spotted before they result into defects.

Controlling your workplace: 5S helps to control the workplace by: