Today we are sharing how we can help you reach optimal organization through a method know as 5S.

The 5s organization methodology originated in Japan.  In is an organization method which promotes efficiency, value, speed, and safety.

The 5S here stands for: Sort (seiri), set in order(seiton), shine (seiso), standardize(seiketsu), and sustain(shitsuke). By the end of this process you will have gone through items in a workspace, removed what’s unnecessary, organized your items, cleaned and maintained, and lastly made sure this becomes a habit.

With this process, over time you will; reduce costs, obtain higher quality, increase productivity, have greater employee satisfaction, and create a safer work environment.

Now it is time to dive deeper into this Japanese organizational system and how it works with our 5S cabinets.

To start, I will be discussing the first step which is sort.

When sorting, you are looking at your items, in the case of our cabinet the items are likely to be tools. So, let’s say you are looking at tools, you must identify the purpose of the items. Then pinpoint when it was last used and how frequently it has been used. Then you need to know who uses it and lastly if it needs to be there, in the 5S cabinet.

These questions help determine the value of your items. This helps to save space and get rid of items that may be taking uptoo much space.

To determine what you need and do not need, go straight to the source. The source being the person whose workspace it is. Once you figure out what belongs and what does not, the next step is to set in order.

Now that clutter had been removed from step 1, you have an easy transition to step 2.

Questions to keep in mind during this phase is:

Who or what station will be needing these tools?

When are these items used?

Which are used most often?

Are there item groupings?

Where should we logically place these items?

This step is all about the layout. Our 5s cabinets has bins, drawers, shelves, and more for you to organize your items. Place them in the proper space, and you are good to go. The labels that come with our 5S cabinet are great for the 5S process.

The third step is to shine.

Know how your items are suppose to be cleaned in general and clean them. Not everything is cleaned with soap and water.

On to step 4 which is to standardize.

At this point your cabinet should be looking good. Your tools are cleaned, items are sorted, and you know where everything should belong. The point of standardize is to make sure that the way your 5s cabinet looks now will remain the same for the future.

In order to do this, there are checklists, labels, and other reminders to keep your cabinet organized. Turn this one-time 5S process into a habit with standardization.

Lastly, we conclude with step 5 which is sustain.

The idea of this is making sure there is ongoing maintenance of your cabinet as well as everything that is in there. Another part of sustain is to make sure any new party involved with the cabinet is trained up to understand the 5s process.

In other words, the final step is all about maintenance so the other previous steps can be done.

With all these steps together, you are sure to maximize efficiency in your work space.

Our 5s cabinet allows you to follow the Japanese 5 step process for organization. Bins, shelf, cabinets, and labels are all provided when you order one of our 5s organization system. It is a must have for the warehouse as it works to keep your tools organized and together.

For more information give us a call at 800 209 8798 text us at 781 592 7214 or email sales@apluswhs .com