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Sort, Set In Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain Companies like vets' background, leadership Like many of the Japanese-originated programs being implemented by American manufacturers, 5S primarily focuses on ways to eliminate waste. This visually- oriented system can be positioned as a discipline of cleanliness and organization, leading to improvements in overall facility productivity, safety and quality. Further, the attention to cleanliness and organization inherent in 5S has been shown to cut errors and significantly improve output. The following is a brief examination of how the 5S principles— Sort, Set In Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain— can help to optimize maintenance efforts. Sort This is the initial cleaning step, in the attempt to eliminate unnecessary things. This is a deceptively simple step, often because many tend to resist throwing things away. However, getting rid of the clutter will make the necessary replacement parts and tooling easier to locate. Set In Order Set In Order should never be implemented without first sorting and discarding, as it deals with arranging the work area to ensure safety and efficiency. This step challenges you to arrange those items that you truly need in a way that makes their storage locations identifiable to everyone. One good way of introducing Set In Order is by making a map, and soliciting group input on how and where the items are to be arranged in the maintenance storage area. It can also be helpful to use the "30 second store and retrieve" principle, meaning all items should be stored in a way that allows for retrieval in 30 seconds or less. When organizing the maintenance crib, the use of graphics, colors and labeling can be helpful. Ergonomic placement is also important to keep in mind, to safeguard against injuries. Shine Not only does it look nice, but systematic cleaning and daily inspection also helps keep you in tune with the state of work areas and equipment. Standardize This phase is different from the previous three, since it is not an activity, rather a movement towards a standardized state or condition at a certain point in time. The goal here is to make abnormal conditions or activities noticeable, and ensure that best operating practices are in place. Standardizing, or the use of SOPs (standard operating procedures) can utilize clear, simple, and visual cues too, rather than long, written documents buried in a procedural manual. In this step, anyone can tell at a glance if something is out of place, or not operating properly. Short, written 5S agreements ensure consistency and accountability. Sustain Sustain is more than just maintaining these improvements, it's also about constantly improving upon them. To help facilitate this, team meetings should be held to further examine your 5S achievements and identify other areas still in need of attention. About ATS Advanced Technology Services, Inc. (ATS), works to improve productivity and profitability for many of the world's most respected manufacturers through the managed services of production equipment maintenance, information technology and spare parts repair. ATS is headquartered in Peoria, IL. For more information, visit www.advancedtech.com. IMPO |
  
 "S" for Success
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