Kaizen is a Japanese word that roughly translates into “slow improvement”. It is a perfect method to use to perfect a process and begin the practice of continuous improvement. It makes tasks easier and more effective. Isn’t that what a good productivity system is meant to do?

Here are the three key steps to use Kaizen to improve productivity.

1. Break It Down Into Smaller Tasks

Regardless of what you have to do, small or large the best way to get it done is to break it down into smaller more manageable tasks.

Putting It Into Practice

Let’s say your task is to paint a room. You don’t start by grabbing your paint and roller and hit the walls. You have to break the goal of painting the room down into small steps. Here is a short task list that breaks down the goal into small steps.

1. Select the color you want to paint the room
2. Buy the paint and supplies you will need
3. Remove everything from the room and clean it
4. Prepare the room for work
5. Fix any areas on the walls that need it
6. Prepare the room for painting
7. Paint one wall at a time, one section at a time
8. Let the paint dry then clean up the room
9. Place everything back in the room
10. Task completed

2. Eliminate Waste

Another principle of Kaizen is to eliminate waste wherever you find it. You do this by reviewing a process and asking yourself “is this step needed”. If the answer is no then eliminate it. If the answer is yes the ask yourself “can it be improved”.

You can improve your productivity by eliminating Muda or waste. Using the painting example you will examine each step and look for waste. Waste of time, motion, unnecessary steps and other forms of Muda.

There are 7 categories of Muda. Learn ways to eliminate waste from the workplace.

3. Continuous Improvement

Everything can be improved. From the simplest to the most complex you should always be looking to improve the processes of how you get things done. From personal productivity to departmental productivity, it all can be improved.

Take the example of painting a room. Each time you paint a room you may learn a better way to complete one of the tasks. You refine your process to include the improvement. These refinements will improve your productivity.

See Deming’s PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle.

Why Kaizen Will Improve Productivity

This method can be applied to any task, goal or initiative you have to do. It is simple and effective.

• Smaller tasks are more manageable, easier to plan for and allocate time for.
• Each task you complete is an achievement which is encouragement that you are achieving your ultimate goal.
• This method eliminates waste which will improve productivity.
• Using continuous improvement you will improve the process.
• It is simple to use, simple to plan for and easy to follow.

Another way to improve productivity is by implementing a 5S System.

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By aligning the goals and objectives of your company with the goals and objectives for your employees and by setting goals that can easily be measured you will establish an alignment of employee performance that with the company. When managers understand that their success is dependent on the success of their reports they will look at performance management in a new light.

The Keys to Building a Strong Culture of Performance

Performance management strives to optimize results by aligning all of the parts of an organization. With a well designed plan and good training you can build a culture of performance that will improve every part of your organization.

Performance management is the process of assessing progress toward achieving predetermined goals. Performance management is building on that process, adding the relevant communication and action on the progress achieved against these predetermined goals.

Develop Clear and Measurable Goals and Objectives

The starting point for performance management is to review the goals your organization from the top to the bottom. Every department should have their own goals that align with the overall goals of the company. The goals should be clear and in terms that can be measured such as time goals, production goals, spending goals and improvement goals.

Align Organizational Goals with Individual Performance

Now align the company and departmental goals with the employee goals. Once the goals are determined you must communicate them to each employee. This is an important step for the employee. You should make sure that your employee knows what is expected of them and how they fit into the department and company.

“If you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it”

Goals must be measurable or you and the employee will not know how well they are doing. Doing a good days work is not a goal. “Increase system efficiency by 15%” is a measurable goal. “Decrease departmental spending by 10%” is a measurable goal. Some performance management programs allow the employee to set their own goals. Regardless of how they are set, without goals and objectives you cannot measure if the employee has been successful.

To Measure You Must Record

Since goals are measurable, performance must be tracked. Baselines may need to be established. Using the results from the previous year is a good place to start. Whether the measure of the goal is time, quality, quality or dollars it must be recorded so it can be measured.

Always Look For Coaching Opportunities

“A failure is an opportunity for growth”. Never pass up the opportunity to improve your employees. Note I said IMPROVE, not berate! You will improve the performance of your employee better if you teach them about a mistake rather than scold them for it. Regularly review the record of performance to see if the employee is on track. They may require additional help or training to be able to meet their goals. Creating a culture of learning is an important part of creating a strong culture of performance.

Change the Review Culture

Performance reviews are usually dreaded by manager and employee alike. For performance management to work you must work to change that culture. Performance reviews are when the results are weighed against the goals. The review should include the original goals, the record of performance and the current results.

Review Often

Typically performance reviews are given once per year. To build a strong performance culture in your company you need to perform a review at least twice a year or even once every quarter. Goals may need to be adjusted due to circumstances beyond the control of the employee. By reviewing performance on a regular basis the employee is not surprised at the end of the year by a poor performance review. Nor does the company suffer due an employees poor performance that has not been corrected.

Recognize Achievements and Reward Performance

At the end of the year the expectation is that the employee meets expectations. While it sounds underwhelming it means the employee performed as was expected of them. If the employee meets or exceeds expectations they should be rewarded for their achievement. If you expect employees to strive for better performance they need to know they will be rewarded for their hard work.

Performance management is often met with resistance. People do not like change and many will not like the measures placed on their performance. Over time both employees and management will see the benefits. Performance management focuses on results. It focuses everyone on the goals of their department, their company and themselves. It is a long-term initiative that puts focus on continuous improvement. In the long-term the benefits to the employee and the company will make it well worth the effort.

Photo Credit: JoshuaDavisPhotography

Resources

• The Secrets to Motivating Employees Part 1 – The Psychology

• The Secrets to Motivating Employees Part 2 – The Managers Role

• What to do With Under Performing Employees

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• Management Tool – Employee Performance Log (PLog) System
• How To Counsel An Employee Performance Issue

Start by doing Gemba Walk to see how people work and obvious areas for improvement. Kaizen is about daily improvement, a change for the better and this is the goal of a 5S System. Use the Kaizen approach to look at your workplace to see where improvements can be made to create a more efficient and better work environment.

A 5S System is not a complicated best practice. It is a simple foundation on which you can build to make further improvements in your workplace. With a successful implementation of a 5S System you will raise the morale of the workplace and by getting workers to take part you open the door for many more improvements.

5S System – The Same Steps For Any Work Environment

The 5S System was developed for the manufacturing environment, but can be adapted to any workplace environment. Whether you are starting a 5S System for your office (see below) or any other department the basic concepts are the same.

• Sort – The sort step is where you remove everything from the workplace that is not used or needed to do the work.
• Straighten – The straighten step is based on the foundation “A place for everything and everything in its place”.
• Shine – The shine step is about cleaning the workplace and keeping it clean.
• Standardize – The standardize step is about making the 5S System’s first three steps part of the daily routine.
• Sustain – The sustain step is about changing the culture and creating the discipline needed to sustain the 5S System.

5S System – The Basics

As you can see above there are 5 basic steps to a 5S System. The first three steps are the meat of the system. These are the work steps that produce the results. The last two steps are about installing a system to follow and changing the culture of the workplace so it becomes a daily habit.

This set of articles will introduce you to the basics of a 5S System.

• 5S System Step 1 – The Sort Step
• 5S System Step 2 – The Straighten Step
• 5S System Step 3 – The Shine Step
• 5S System Step 4 – The Standardize Step
• 5S System Step 5 – The Sustain Step

5S System Planning and Launch

There are several keys to a successful 5S System. The two most important are the planning phase and the launch phase.

The planning phase lays the foundation of your 5S System. Key points are:

1. Educating yourself on 5S, what it is and what it is about.
2. Getting management and leadership to buy in. This should be an easy sell since the cost is low and the benefits are high.
3. Establishing your 5S Team. A 5S System needs a team approach with members who represent a cross-section of your workplace. They should be your most knowledgeable people on how the workplace functions, what works and where improvements are needed. Educate them about 5S and the benefits.
4. Working with your 5S Team decide how a 5S System will fit into your workplace. Take the basic 5S System and adapt it. Listen to your 5S Team since these are the people who do the work. They know what works best and where improvements are needed. Get them onboard and you will have less resistance from other workers.
5. Create a plan for how each of the first three steps will be carried out, how it will be standardized so it becomes a daily habit and how it will be sustained to change the culture of the workplace.

The launch phase is where you introduce and start your 5S System in the workplace. Key points are:

1. Where will you start? If the workplace is small you can do it all at once. If it is large it is best to start in one area and move to others once the system is in place.
2. Gathering all the tools and supplies you will need to do the first three steps.
3. Creating a reinforcement system such as a bulletin board and a reward or recognition system to inspire and enforce the 5S System.
4. Designating areas for the sort step. Lots of trash and junk will be generated so plan where it will go and how you will handle it.
5. Create a system for handling the straighten step. This step is about organizing for efficiency. Remember, “A place for everything and everything in its place”. This means you must designate areas where everything goes. You don’t want the workplace cluttered up with items that are not needed to do the work, but if they are items you need time and again you will need a place to store them near where the work is done.
6. Consider the layout of your workplace. Is it efficient? One of the benefits of a 5S System is improving your work flow. Create areas to store supplies to do the work close to where the work is done, not in a remote location. Can furniture or be arranged to make it easier for workers to move around? Can office equipment be move to more central locations?
7. Finally decide on a launch date. A casual Friday is the perfect time to launch your 5S System.

For more information on how to plan for a 5S System launch read How to Plan a 5S System Launch.

A 5S System For The Office

As I said a 5S System can be adapted for any work environment including the office. A 5S Office system is a process to make sure work areas are clean and organized. The goal for implementing a 5S System in the office environment is to make the office clean, organized and more efficient. You will be able to find what you need, when you need it and know exactly where everything is.

If you want to start a 5S Office System read these articles to find out how to adapt 5S to the office environment.

• A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning
• A 5S Office System – Part 2 Laying The Foundation
• A 5S Office System – Part 3 Your First 5S Office Campaign
• A 5S Office System – Sustaining the 5S Office System

Take Away

Spring time is the perfect time to start a 5S System in your workplace. A 5S System can be adapted to any work environment. It is a low-cost way to bring many benefits to your workplace. A 5S System lays the foundation on which you can build on for a more efficient and pleasant work environment.

A 5S System is not rocket science. It is easy to learn, plan and start. Educate yourself, form a 5S Team who will help you and create a 5S System plan. When you are ready to launch your 5S System take time to educate everyone on what 5S is and the many benefits. Expect resistance to change, but build in a system to sustain your 5S System and eventually it will become a habit.

If you want your employees to buy in to a 5S System a word of advice. Don’t go overboard with it. People are naturally resistant to change so start small. Read “5S System Challenges – Slow and Steady Implementation” for more tips. You want to sustain a 5S System by enforcing it, but nobody wants the “5S Police” after them.

Once your 5S System is in place and running well look for other areas of improvement. Use the Kaizen approach, do more Gemba Walks and see where improvements can be made. Does the break room need to be updated? Is the office furniture or equipment outdated, broken or just plain old? There are many areas for improvements that will create an even more compelling place to work.

Read These Related Posts

• A 5S Office System – Sustaining the 5S Office System
• A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning
• How to Plan a 5S System Launch

5S refers to a list of five Japanese words which are part of the Kaizen philosophy of workplace management. It is a method of organizing and managing your workspace and work flow to improve efficiency, eliminate waste (muda) and improve processes.  Another benefit is that a clean workplace will improve the morale of those that work in it.

A 5S System is not just about cleaning up. A 5S System will get rid of anything that is not needed, organizing everything that is needed, cleaning on a daily basis, standardizing to support the system and having leadership and team members exercise the self-discipline to make it a daily habit.

Here is an overview of the 5S System we have adopted in our IT Service Depot. Over the next series of articles I will go over how to plan a 5S System launch and each step in the 5S System.

SORT

• Sort through each workspace and remove anything that is not needed. The goal is to reduce the number of items in the area.
• Keep only what is needed in a workspace. Dispose of or put in place what is not needed.
• The goal is to leave nothing in a workspace except work in progress and the tools and supplies needed to do the work.

STRAIGHTEN – “A place for everything and everything in its place”

• All tools, parts and equipment to be tested or repaired have designated areas. They should be kept in and returned to those designated areas.
• Do not stock equipment to be repaired in the shop. Only bring in what you will be working on.
• All boxes to be reused will be stored outside of the shop in the designated area.
• All carts and hand trucks will be stored outside of the shop in the designated area.
• All large parts are to be stored outside of the shop in the designated areas or in the parts room.
• Parts and supplies will not be stockpiled in the workspace with the exception of a small quantity of the most used parts in 2-3 small boxes that go under the bench or on a shelf or in part bins.
• Your goal will be to have your work completed and the workspace cleared of equipment you are working on 20 minutes before it is time for you to leave for the day.

SHINE – Cleanliness

• Clean at the end of each day and as you work. Dispose of trash, scrap and cardboard in the designated areas.
• Dispose of anything no longer of use as you work.
• Benches should be wiped down daily and testing equipment cleaned as needed.
• Floors should be swept at the end of each day and mopped once at least once a week.
• Trash cans more than half full should be emptied at the end of each day.

STANDARDIZE

• Parts should be put up when they are received in their designated area.
• Trash can liners will be used. No heavy parts are disposed of in trash cans.
• The SORT-STRAIGHTEN-SHINE Checklist is performed during the last 20 minutes of your work day.
• Detailed system maps show the designated areas for everything.

SUSTAIN – Self-Discipline

• Maintaining a stabilized workplace is an ongoing process of continuous improvement.
• Service technicians should take pride in keeping their workspace clean and organized.
• The 5 S’s should become a part of your daily routine. Make it a habit.

Low Cost, Big Return

One of the best things about a 5S System is it cost nothing to start. Often a 5S System is implemented then forgotten. The only way to make sure this does not happen is to make it visible and measurable. Put up 5S posters. Create a checklist for each workspace to be carried out at the end of each day. They are a visible reminder at each workspace what should be done.

On the last day of the month have a Sort, Straighten and Shine event. Bring in snacks, drinks and music. Be creative with the event. Involve everyone in the event.  A solid 5S System should be the cornerstone of your cycle of continuous improvement. One that you can build on to create a lean and efficient IT Service Depot.

As with any workplace system a 5S System should be subject to continuous improvement. There is always a better way to do something and you should continuously look for ways to improve the system. IT departments are in a constant state of change with new technology in need of service. You must improve your 5S System to adapt to these changes.

Read These Related Posts

• A 5′S System for Your Service Depot
• A 5S Office System – Sustaining the 5S Office System
• 5S System Step 4 – The Standardize Step

After the first three articles A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning, A 5S Office System – Part 2 Laying The Foundation and A 5S Office System – Part 3 Your First 5S Office Campaign you have your 5S Office System in place. Now we will look at how you can sustain and improve the system over time.

Establish Standards

To make sure the 5S Office System is followed you must set up standards. The goal is to put to paper standards for how you want your office workspace to be maintained. These are the rules but don’t call them that, call them standards.

Here is an example of standards for conference rooms

• No food is allowed in the conference room
• Doors should be closed during all meetings
• Cell phones should be put on silent before a meeting starts
• White boards must be cleared at the end of the meeting
• All chairs must be put back in place and if extra seating is brought in it must be removed at the end of the meeting
• The meeting organizer is responsible for making sure the conference room is clean and returned to standards at the end of each meeting. (accountability)

Remember a 5S Office System is about more than keeping things clean and organized. It should include office etiquette as well. You are changing the culture of the office so this must include a code of behavior such as turning off cell phones before a meeting starts.

Standards should be established for every common workspace and personal workspace. How they should be laid out, how they should be labeled, how they should be organized, and how they should be maintained.

Other areas to consider:

• How desks and offices should be maintained
• How filing cabinets and common work areas should be maintained
• When files are pulled they must be returned to the proper filing cabinet by the end of each day
• Common work areas must be kept clean and organized
• At the end of each day desks should be cleared and ready for work the next day

Don’t become a 5S Czar by laying down rules that are so rigid people will not follow them. Standards should be best practices for maintaining a clean, organized and productive work environment. Standards are the who, what, when, where and how of your 5S Office System.

Sustain The 5S Office System

The fifth and last step in a 5S Office System is the sustain step. With the sustain step you want to instill the self-discipline needed for everyone to follow the 5S Office System. You also want to lay the groundwork for changing the office culture.

Reinforce Your 5S Office Team

Continue to hold regular meetings with your 5S Office team to check the system. 5S utilizes Kaizen which is a philosophy of small, but continuous improvements. No matter how good your system is it can always be improved.

Evaluate your system to see if your goals are being met and if new goals need to be added. Look at areas where the system is not working well and find out why. These meetings should cover the 5S Office System as well as the office culture.

Reinforce Your Employees

Old habits die hard over and over time the newness of the 5S Office System will wear off and some people will be tempted to return to their old habits. The sustain step will make sure this does not happen. By nature people are resistant to change and others may think this is just another fad that will fade away.

One way to reinforce your employees is to hold monthly 5S Office campaigns. Over time slippage will occur and more extensive sort, straighten and shine steps will need to be carried out. As with your first campaign make it an office event. Make it a jeans Friday and bring in snacks.

Hold a meeting or have a lunch to get feedback from employees. The goal is to keep employees engaged in the 5S Office System so they know it is not going to fade away. Only then will it become a habit and part of the office culture.

Contests are often used in 5S Systems. Rewards are good incentives and the benefits you reap will be well worth the cost. The contests can be the best example of a 5S Office workspace, and awards for teams or departments. It will raise morale and yield better results than disciplinary actions.

Three Keys to Success

1. Ensure everyone knows what is expected of them. How can you expect people to follow a system they do not understand or is not clearly defined by standards?
2. Set aside a specific time of day to carry out the sort, straighten and shine steps. This is the biggest key to success. You must give your employees the time to support the system. Those 10-15 minutes at the end of each day are likely already lost with people preparing to go home. Utilize this time to support the system. You want this to become a habit and habits are formed by repetition.
3. Reinforce both your 5S Office team and your employees to keep the 5S Office system from fading away.

The 5S Office System Series

• Part 1 – Planning
• Part 2 – Laying the Foundation
• Part 3 – Your First 5S Office Campaign
• Part 4 – Sustaining the 5S Office System
• Part 5 – Building on Your Success

Read These Related Posts

• A 5S Office System – Part 3 Your First 5S Office Campaign
• A 5S Office System – Part 2 Laying The Foundation
• A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning

This is not ITIL v4, but an update of the existing edition since the framework will for the most part will remain unchanged.

Since ITIL 3 was first released a change control log has captured 312 issues about the five core ITIL publications from user feedback. Feedback has also come from the ITIL v3 training community about inconsistencies that exist between the fire core publications and the concepts in the Service Strategy volume that “users are finding hard to grasp”.

The Aims Of The Project

• To update the publications in line with a number of issues raised in the Change Control Log. Not everything will be addressed – some technical changes are seen as too much for this evolutionary change.
• To remedy the inconsistencies that exist between the content and layout of the publications.
• To answer some of the criticisms that have been leveled at the core publications by the training community.
• To simplify the Service Strategy publication to ensure that the concepts are readily understood and that the content is accessible to a greater number of users.

The Scope of The Project

• Look at remedying inconsistencies within the content of the five books:
• –– Roles need to be made consistent across the books, ensuring that the activities apply only to one role
• –– Clarify that the organizational structures given as examples are indicative rather than prescriptive.
• Restructure the guidance to ensure that all five publications are organized in the same way:
• –– Ensure that each process has goals, purpose and objectives
• –– Look at how the processes are dealt with, and ensure a common treatment for all
• Ensure that the books are aligned, w • here relevant, with guidance in MSP™, M_o_R®, PRINCE2® and P3O®.
• Give clear explanations and descriptions of roles and responsibilities
• Standardize the use of glossary definitions within the five titles. Ensure that the explanations in the text align with those in the glossary
• Update to the glossary to take account of the comments made in the Change Control Log
• Examine the definition and usage of the roles of Product Manager and Service Owner
• Ensure that service catalogue manager appears within Service Operation
• Redesign the content according to OGC’s updated style guidelines.

Most comments center around the need to update the Service Strategy as well as other housekeeping on the five core books. No date for when the update will occur has been announced.

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Gone are the days when IT was disconnected from the business. IT is now an integral part of the business and has many customers, both internal and external. This is why integration of good customer service policies into IT departments is so important.

It’s All About The Customer Stupid

For some in IT customer service is difficult. They are used to being in the background keeping the systems running and not really thinking of themselves as providers of products and services. They may not care for or about the customer.

In the new world of enterprise wide IT it is all about the customer. We provide the infrastructure and solutions that keep the business running and growing. Today IT touches nearly every department and every employee of an organization. These departments and employees are all our customers.

I have a simple mission statement for our department. “We will continuously improve our products and services to meet or exceed our customers expectations”. The purpose of this is to remind us of who we serve and how we do it. This highlights our need to continuously improve and that all of our products and services must meet our customers expectations.

How to Meet Your Customers Expectations

From the CIO to the office worker everyone has a customer. For an IT department most of our customers are internal to the organization. Our customers are the people within our organization that consume or depend on our products and services.

Your goal should be to meet or exceed the expectations of your customers. To do this here is a simple plan. It is high-level and should be tailored to your specific department. It borrows a lot from quality management since our goal is to provide our customers with a quality product.

1. Identify Your Customers – Determine what people and departments consume your products and services, both internal and external.
2. Determine Your Customers Expectations – Sometimes customers will give your their expectations. With others you will have to seek them out. Survey them, talk with them, find out how they use your products and services. Find out how they think your products and services can be improved.
3. Define The Processes – Think of it as products and services that must meet strict quality standards. There is only one way to produce a product or service, the right way. The right way can be documented into a set of processes or work instructions. Standardization is the key to good customer service. Everyone should know the best way.
4. Follow The Process – Demand strict adherence to the processes or work instructions. If the right way is the only way to do it, deviations produce inferior products that will not meet the expectations of the customer.
5. Get Feedback – Perform regular follow-ups with all of your customers to see if your products and services still meet their expectations.

Continuous Improvement

Change is an inevitable part of business. Needs, requirements and expectations will change. This is one reason feedback is so important. This is also why continuous improvement must be built into your system.

Process improvement is one area you can always look at. If you have standardized process or a set of work instructions as outlined in step 3 examine them step-by-step.

• First determine if the step is needed, if not discard it as a waste of time.
• If the step is needed examine it and see if it can be improved. Is there a way to do it faster, cheaper or more efficiently? Can it be changed to better align with or exceed the customers expectations?
• Implement the change in the process and carefully monitor it. Does it have the desired result? Does the change degrade or improve the product or service? Does it have an unforeseen impact?
• If the change improves the product or service it then becomes the new step in the process.

Got through each process and each set of work instructions in this manner. I am a firm believer that there is always a better way to do something. Continuous improvement is never ending. Always look for a better way to produce your products and services. See Deming’s PDCA (Plan, Do, Check, Act) cycle.

Listen To Your Customers

Another way you can improve your products and services is getting feedback from your customers as outlined in step 5. Does your product or service still meet their needs? Have their needs changed or expanded? They usually do.

Take this feedback and establish a new set of customer expectations as defined in step 2. You will then need to look at your processes or work instructions using the steps defined in continuous improvement and tailor them to meet or exceed these new expectations.

Whenever you change a product or service get feedback from the customers to see if there has been any adverse impact and if the product or service meets their new expectations. If so you now have the new standard for your product or service. If not it is back to process improvement.

Summary

Good customer service is about producing a product or service that meets or exceeds the expectations of the customer. You must define your customers, determine their expectations, develop standardized processes, always follow those processes and get continuous feedback from the customer.

By continuously improving your products and services you will be sure that they always meet or exceed the expectations of the customer. Since the right way is the only way to do something, standardization is important. But to stay on top you should always look for ways to improve and produce better products and services.

Read These Related Posts

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The first thing to remember is there is no cookie cutter solution when it comes to developing and implementing a 5S System. Each organization is different as are the people who work in them. You must examine how your organization works and tailor your 5S System to fit.

For a 5S System to be successful you must be successful at changing the culture and the behavior of employees and management. Since by nature people are resistant to change this can be the biggest obstacle to overcome. By using the slow and steady approach you will be able to gradually change the culture.

The key is to start small and never stop improving. By using the Kaizen approach of small incremental changes it allows your employees to adapt to the changes with little disruption. With this type of implementation the 5S System will be better received and be more sustainable.

One Small Step at a Time

Start with one area of the office, department or other area you want to implement a 5S System in. Then gradually work your way through the organization step by step. This makes it much easier to plan for and implement. You are working with smaller groups so education about 5S is less of a burden. Once you have that area squared away and running under a sustainable 5S System move on to the next one.

Be sure that before you move to the next area you have put in place a system to sustain the 5S System. You don’t want to go in, implement the 5S System and move on to the next area. Be sure you have properly trained and followed up with the employees in this area before you move on to the next.

Your first 5S System implementation should be your best. It will be the showcase of how much better the work environment is. Consider it your training ground for building your 5S System. Learn what works and what does not. This will help you avoid mistakes when you move on to other areas and improve your 5S System.

A successful implementation of a 5S System in your first area will show the rest of the organization that there is nothing to fear. Once they see how much better the sustained 5S area is and how well the employees like it, it will make it much more acceptable as you move on.

Get Managers and Supervisors Onboard

Spend a lot of time with your managers and supervisors. Educate them on 5S and get them onboard early. They will be the ones who will help sustain the 5S System and can give you valuable insight into how it will best work in their area.

A 5S System is change and change is often met with resistance. By starting small you avoid the overwhelming effect that some may feel. For many organizations, particularly large ones this slow and steady approach works best.

Read These Related Posts

• 5S System – Spring Cleaning The 5S Way
• 5S System Step 5 – The Sustain Step
• A 5S Office System – Sustaining the 5S Office System

In the first two articles A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning and A 5S Office System – Part 2 Laying The Foundation, we looked at planning for and laying down the foundation of a 5S Office System. Now we will look to put everything to use by launching your first 5S Office Campaign.

Ready

By this time you should have all of your planning done and all of the supplies you need to support your 5S Office System.

• A zone map designating where everything is located
• Designated sort areas for sorting items that are out of place or their status is unknown
• Supplies such as tags, boxes, trash bags, cleaning supplies
• Your office flow examined and a list of changes to be made
• Equipment and office furniture to be upgraded

At this point you need to or should have already set the date of your first 5S Office campaign. Friday is always a good day to hold one on. Allow your team members to wear jeans and comfortable shoes. Most likely you will not be able to shut down office operations so plan your campaign in stages with as little interruption to team members as possible.

Set

Now it is time to bring the entire office staff onboard with the 5S Office System. Hold one large or several small meetings to educate them on what a 5S Office System is, what it means to them and how they will participate. It is a good idea to have hand-outs ready that explains the 5S Office System and what team members are expected to do. You will have lots of questions and a few grumbles, but as with anything that is new be patient as it will take time for everyone to get onboard.

By this time you should have all of the support structure in place. Zone maps should be posted around the office or on your organizations Intranet. If you plan on using a bulletin board it should already be up, along with a suggestion box.

The day before your campaign review everything with your 5S Office team. Be sure everyone knows their tasks and that everything is in place. You can expect plenty of bumps and forgotten items to show up so you should expect these. If your office is in really bad shape you may not get everything done in one day. For instance if you are upgrading equipment and furniture it would be best to do that after the first campaign is complete.

The goal of the first campaign is to clear out everything that does not belong and set everything in its place. This is the foundation you will build on. It may take several campaigns and be followed by daily, weekly and monthly work to get the 5S Office System in place and part of the daily routine.

Days or even weeks before you start your first campaign take pictures. You will post them on the 5S Office System bulletin board or Intranet web site as before and after pictures. They will serve as excellent reminders of how bad it was and how much better it is with a 5S Office System.

Go!

Launch day is here and your team is ready to go. Use the steps in the 5S Office System as your guide to run your campaign.

Sort

The Sort step for the office is about removing anything that is not necessary to do the work.

Sort through work areas and remove any unnecessary items such as books, supplies and files. Check inside all drawers, cabinets and storage areas.

The goal of the sort step is to remove anything that does not belong. Items that are out of place and items that a team member does not know where it goes should be taken to the designated sort areas. In the sort areas items should be tagged according to what is to be done with them. Relocation to a specific area and trash are the most likely outcomes. If in doubt, move it out. You can always come back and replace something if it is needed.

Each team member should be responsible for their own desk. You do not want members of your 5S Office team going through team members desk, cabinets or belongings. Give each employee at least one box to place items that do not belong in their work area. 5S Office team members can then take the boxes to the sort areas.

This is also the time to shred documents or other material that is no longer needed. You can create a lot of free space by getting rid of paperwork that is no longer needed. It will also make it easier in the next step when you organize and label all of your files and cabinets.

Straighten

Once all of the clutter has been removed it is time to put things in their place. Start by clearing out your sort areas and putting items where they belong. Next move through the office looking for anything that may have been missed. You want as much removed as possible to make the Shine step easier. Some items may have to wait until the Shine step has been completed to return them.

Arrange items so that they are easily accessible. Use a labeling system to label all folders and other items so they can be easily spotted. The goal is to be able to find what you are looking for in 30 seconds or less.

The motto for the Straighten step is “Everything has a place, everything in its place”. This is your goal for this step. For most desks and cabinets this will just mean sorting through what is left and organizing it. If desks, furniture or equipment is to be moved to improve work flow this is the time to do it.

Shine

Now that all of the clutter has been removed and everything has been put in to place it is time to clean. This is the step where people will really start to notice the results.

Clean everything in the work area including all office equipment. If your office equipment has not been recently serviced, service it yourself or setup a service call. Move furniture if needed to get everything swept or vacuumed. Literally look high and low for dirt, trash and gunk. You will be surprised at what you will find.

Standardize

The last two steps are about installing a system that will support and maintain the 5S Office System. You should already have written a document explaining to everyone what is expected of them. Detail what should be done at the end of each day, each week and each month.

Establish standards for how the work areas should be maintained. Everything should be kept clean and organized. When items are pulled for use they should be returned when you are done with them. Standardization is important to maintaining and improving on the system.

At the end of each workday you want each work area to be ready to start work the next day. Don’t allow files and paperwork to pile up on desks. They should be disposed of or returned to when they belong when they are no longer needed. This should be part of the daily routine and should become a habit for everyone.

Sustain

Be sure that everyone is following the new 5S Office System standards. This is about making sure everyone is following the 5S Office System and doing their part. A word of warning here. You do not want to establish a 5S Office police force. A negative opinion will develop very quickly. You want everyone to be onboard and it may take others longer to get with the new system. Be patient!

If your first 5S Office campaign was done properly everyone should notice the difference. Being able to find what you need when you need it, not having to walk halfway across the building to get office supplies, seeing the office clean and tidy should raise morale. The goal of the Sustain step is to instill a philosophy that will make the 5S Office system part of the office culture.

Evaluation

Now that your first 5S Office campaign is complete it is time to meet with your 5S team members and see what worked and what needs to be improved on. Don’t expect everything to go perfect the first time. Your 5S Office System should include continuous improvement. Things will change and your system must adapt to those changes.

If you did not get everything done this time make plans for your next campaign. If your plan includes replacing old equipment or office furniture make plans to do this now. You probably ran across things you did not plan for or uncovered things you did not know existed.

The most effective system is one where everyone takes 15 minutes at the end of each day to perform the first three steps. If they make 5S part of their daily routine it should take less time than this. This also gives them time to set themselves up so they can start work with a clean slate the next day.

If needed set aside more time at the end of the day on Friday to perform the first three steps in more detail than can be done during the week. Having everything sorted, back in its place and cleaned makes Monday mornings a lot more tolerable and productive.

Plan on having monthly 5S Office campaigns on set dates. The last Friday of the month is a good time. Make it an event that people will look forward to rather than dread. Bring in snacks, make it a casual Friday, be creative to make it not only productive in maintaining the 5S Office System, but a morale booster as well. You may want to put a little competition into it by rewarding people or teams with the best areas. Gift cards or other rewards are a good incentive.

Most of all remember that a 5S Office System is about making the workplace better. More efficient, more productive, cleaner and raising morale. It is not a rigid system that must be followed “or else”. You want your 5S Office System to be accepted and work. This will lay the foundation for further improvements in the future. A successful 5S Office System that is accepted and followed will make it much easier to make these improvements in the future.

The 5S Office System Series

• Part 1 – Planning
• Part 2 – Laying the Foundation
• Part 3 – Your First 5S Office Campaign
• Part 4 – Sustaining the 5S Office System
• Part 5 – Building on Your Success

Read These Related Posts

• A 5S Office System – Part 1 Planning
• A 5S Office System – Part 2 Laying The Foundation
• A 5S Office System – Sustaining the 5S Office System

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