"What will 5S actually bring us here on the shop floor? Why should I change my workplace when I'm already used to working this way?" That was the question one operator asked me when I first suggested introducing 5S in his area.
I didn't argue. I quietly took out my notebook, wrote something down, then reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out his pen, and tossed it somewhere behind the machine. Then I offered him €100, cash, if he could sign the paper in his hand within 10 seconds. He wanted that bonus badly. But of course, he couldn't find the pen in time.
And that was probably a better introduction to 5S than any presentation I could have given.
His pen was a tool he used regularly. Normally, he knew exactly where it was. The moment it was no longer in its usual place, he had to stop what he was doing and start searching. Ten seconds might not sound like much. But in a production environment, multiples tools at multiple locations and small amounts of wasted time for each tool happen repeatedly throughout the day.
That is what 5S is. It is not about making the workplace look tidy. It's about reducing the time and effort people spend searching, moving and dealing with unnecessary things.
The Five S's :
Seiri (Sort): Remove anything that is not needed for the current process.
Seiton (Set in Order): Give the remaining items a defined and logical location.
Seiso (Shine): Clean the workplace while also looking for abnormalities such as leaks, damage or excessive dirt.
Seiketsu (Standardize): Define how the improved condition should be maintained.
Shitsuke (Sustain): Build the routines and discipline needed to keep the standard in place.
In my experience, the first three steps usually get the most attention.
They are visible. You can clear an area, install shadow boards, label locations and immediately see the difference.
The last two are more difficult.
A standard that is created during a 5S workshop can become outdated surprisingly quickly. Processes change, new tools arrive and materials are moved.
If the standard does not change with the process, people eventually stop following it—not necessarily because they don't care, but because the standard no longer reflects how the work is actually done.
When a Good 5S Launch Didn't Last
On one line I supported, we carried out what I would call a successful 5S launch. We removed obsolete fixtures, organised the remaining tools and created defined locations. Shadow boards were installed, and the area looked noticeably better. The team was also genuinely proud of the result.
A few months later, however, the situation had started to change. Some tools were being stored in drawers instead of their defined locations. New parts had arrived without a clear place to store them. The process had changed slightly, but the workplace standard had remained the same. That was the real problem. The standard had been created as if the process would never change. So we approached it differently.
We updated the locations based on how the process was actually running, rather than how it had looked on the day of the original 5S activity. We also made maintaining the area part of the team's routine. At the end of the shift, a few minutes were used to return items to their locations and identify anything that had changed. Most importantly, updating the 5S standard became part of process changes rather than a separate activity that someone had to remember later.
And that made a significant difference!!
The area was no longer organised simply because someone had created a good-looking standard. It stayed organised because the people working there understood why the locations existed and could adapt the standard when the process changed.
A Few Practical Lessons:
Treat Standardize as something that evolves: A workplace standard should change when the process, tools or materials change.
Give ownership to the people doing the work: The people using the workplace every day are usually the first to notice when a standard no longer makes sense.
Treat Shine as inspection, not just cleaning: Leaks, unusual dirt or recurring metal shavings can be early signs of equipment problems.
Explain why something has a specific location: People are more likely to maintain a system when they understand the purpose behind it.
The Real Challenge of 5S?
5S isn't hard to start. Almost every work station can pull off an impressive first pass. What separates the programs that last from the ones that fade within a year is whether Standardize and Sustain ever became genuine habits and not whether the first three S's looked good on day one.
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