Your production floor is your showroom. When suppliers, customers, and investors tour the floor, the state of the work environment—clean or disordered—is a reflection on the company’s work ethic. Tools on the floor, disorganized paperwork, tables and workbenches out of place, and dirt and grease on the floor all present a bad impression; it does not look professional. Workplace pride is critical to success, but it is difficult to cultivate an atmosphere of pride when the environment is cluttered, dirty, and disorganized.

The sort function of 5S is easy to understand and implement. In my experience, most operators, engineers, and managers can easily discard unneeded items and even feel good about it. Clearing clutter can be invigorating.

The first mistake depends on how the straighten task is interpreted. The idea of 5S is to bring out your employees’ creativity and talent, allowing them to create unique and effective means of organizing the workplace. People do not always do as much as they can in this area, and that is a mistake. You need to identify everything on the floor: workbenches, tools, parts, parts bins, station signs, storage areas, documentation, garbage cans, chairs, and so on. If the item is necessary in the work area, identify its correct location and then designate it with plenty of labels, signs, insignia, and colors. Hold nothing back.

Imagine your factory having a place for everything. Imagine every item clearly marked with its name and its quantity. Figure 4.1 displays the level of detailed identification required for a garbage can that is located in a workstation on the factory floor.

Figure 4.1. Garbage Can Identification

It isn’t sufficient merely to place the garbage can somewhere on the factory floor. First, you should identify its location using a particular color of floor tape (yellow is the most popular). Next, label the garbage can. Designating it as a “garbage can” is not enough, because there are numerous garbage cans in the factory. In the example, the garbage can in Figure 4.1 is from the G line and is marked accordingly.

A story from my experience illustrates why this level of detail is important. I was helping a company in Nebraska with a series of kaizen events. We began by implementing 5S on one assembly line. Three line operators participated on the kaizen team. Day 1 of the kaizen event was designated for sorting all unnecessary items on the line. It was a small line, so the team completed the sorting portion of the project in a couple of hours. By the end of the day, the team was putting together the new line.

One operator was eager to help and was working with me in a particular workstation. I allowed him to come up with ideas regarding placement of the items in the station. The workstation required a garbage can, because some of the parts arriving from suppliers were protected with foam that had to be removed and discarded. The team tried to find a way to reduce the amount of unpacking that was done on the line, but this particular part was painted and needed to be protected until installation.

The operator decided that the garbage can should be located to the left of the workstation. He had participated in the 5S training that I had conducted, so he knew I wanted him to be creative. The garbage can was placed on the floor at the end of the day, and he decided to finish his 5S plan the following day. When we returned to the workstation the following morning, the garbage can was missing. I was not surprised that it was gone. He found it comical, because there were hundreds of garbage cans in this factory and they were always disappearing. Laughing, he ran off to find his garbage can.

Upon his return, I asked him why he thought it had been missing. Fortunately, his answer was “poor identification.” The operator placed the garbage can back where it was supposed to go and then proceeded to place yellow floor tape around it. Because there was a lot of work to do on the line, we left to help other team members with their implementations.

I did not see much of him that day except in passing. I looked for his garbage can, and it was still in its place. On the third day we returned to the location and, lo and behold, the can was gone—just as I knew it would be. Essentially, I was allowing the operator to make some key mistakes, helping him grasp the concept of 5S through his own experience. The operator now seemed a bit disgruntled, but again he was eager to solve the issue. He returned the garbage can to its place, placing it in the middle of the floor tape. He then placed a label on the floor that read “garbage can.”

I knew that was not enough, but I wanted him to learn a little more. By the end of the day, the can again had disappeared, this time getting only as far as the next workstation. Because the event was nearing completion, I felt compelled to intervene. I explained that because there were numerous garbage cans in the factory he might want to change the label on the floor to “G Line Garbage Can 1.” This would ensure that the garbage can would stay in the G line and in workstation 1. The garbage cans in the other workstations on the G line would be labeled 2 and 3 to ensure that they remained in their own stations. He got it! I apologized for dragging him along, but I explained my reason for wanting him to learn from his own mistakes and experience kaizen in a way that would make him a true believer.

The same numbering approach can be used for brooms, dustpans, mops, or any other item that has multiple quantities for a given area. Make sure that the item is labeled with its name in addition to its location.

My example is just that—an example. It’s a good idea to tap in to the talent of your employees, allowing them to devise the best, most creative manner of organization. Here are a few more examples.

Figure 4.2 shows a simple, effective way to identify a workbench. In this example, the workbench is designated as T1. (“T1” distinguishes this workbench from other workbenches. A designation of “workbench” is not sufficient because there may be more than one workbench. The best analogy is a house number and street name. Imagine trying to get mail without an address or if the house were simply called “house.”) In Figure 4.2, floor tape has been placed around the workbench, and the workstation sign is posted above it for easy viewing. The same workstation identification is on the floor next to the floor tape. From most vantage points, this workstation is highly visible.

Figure 4.2. Workbench Identification

Workbenches, stations, shelves, and parts racks need identification because manufacturing items such as tools, parts, materials, supplies, and documentation also need a home location. These items are generally placed in a bin or on a flat surface in a workstation. T1 would have a collection of necessary items for performing the work, and each item’s location in the factory is in T1.

The bins or containers holding these parts should also be clearly marked and designated as belonging in T1. The label should include the part description, part number, part quantity, and location (see Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3. Part Identification

The contents of parts bins should be clearly marked with their correct location. This ensures that a “wandering” part returns to its home location on the production floor. In this example, the location is T1. A similar label should also be placed on the workbench T1. In this way, the parts bin sits in a designated place on T1.

Try to be as creative and detailed as possible when you are straightening.

In most cases, organizations successfully implement the first four S’s in the 5S program. Sustaining the changes is a different story. Culture change plays a major role in its success. Holding people accountable can be difficult, especially when the employees have been with the company for quite a while or have been performing the same job function for many years. It is human nature to grow comfortable with established ways of working and to want to maintain that comfort zone even after physical changes are made to the work environment.

Employees who are resistant to change will battle against the new requirements for order and cleanliness as long as possible. To combat this, from a managerial perspective, you need to have in place two monitoring systems:

5S Audits

Auditing and tracking any procedure or program are critical to its success. You cannot simply put a new program in place and expect it to work on its own. This is especially true with lean manufacturing. To ensure its sustained success, you must maintain it and continuously improve upon it. Your 5S program will be successful if it has the commitment of those on the floor and if management audits and maintains the area consistently.

You must create a 5S audit form that captures all the important elements of organization and identification for the specified area. For example, the criteria you establish for assembly lines will vary from the criteria for the fabrication or receiving departments. Each area will need its own 5S audit form. Also, you cannot perform an audit until after the company has implemented 5S in that area. Although this seems obvious, some people attempt to do it backwards.

Figure 4.4 shows an example of a 5S audit form for production or assembly lines. You need to tailor your forms to your processes and to your goals in monitoring your 5S program.

Figure 4.4. 5S Audit Form

The 5S audit form is used to monitor conformance to the company’s 5S program. The form is based on the five S’s (sort, straighten, scrub, standardize, and sustain). You need to establish and then monitor the various criteria. There is no maximum number of criteria; you can list as many as you’d like.

The 5S form can be short or lengthy. I have seen forms that were four pages long. The scoring portion of the audit can be established in two ways: a yes or no approach, or scoring based on a scale. The form in Figure 4.4 uses yes or no answers to indicate conformance.

Alternatively, you might want to use a scale of 1 to 5 (5 = complete conformance, 3 = minimal conformance, and 1 = nonconformance).

The 5S audit form should be developed for every process and department in the factory and should be process-specific. As mentioned, the form for assembly lines should be different from the forms for receiving, maintenance, and shipping. These areas operate within different process parameters, and therefore the 5S audit must be tailored to the needs in each area.

For consistency, each 5S audit form should contain the same number of questions. Although each team has different work processes, it would not be fair to audit the maintenance department with 8 questions and then audit the manufacturing lines with 25 questions. It is typically best practice to form different 5S teams for the different areas, because workers from each area know it best and can help establish the criteria and perform the audits. Make sure that the 5S audit forms are developed based on what is considered critical to organization and what is considered the standard for cleanliness in each respective area.

Many companies struggle with developing their approach to 5S and specifying how it should be implemented in each area. It is wise to begin by developing the 5S audit form for the area. When that is completed, each kaizen team will know the specific criteria to use for the implementation, and that almost guarantees that the area will be 5S compliant. Remember, 5S compliance is defined differently for each organization. Develop the criteria, implement 5S, and sustain it.

To maintain consistency, 5S audits should be conducted once a week. It is a good idea to post the audit criteria in the target area so that operators and floor supervisors are visually aware of the standard. After the audit, the data from the audit form is added together, and the completed audit is based on a percentage, as shown at the bottom of Figure 4.4.

There are no secrets here; you want the floor personnel to know what they will be audited on. The company should want the areas to score well on a consistent basis.

Historically, time and motion studies have been performed in a variety of ways or not at all. Unfortunately, either many manufacturers do not have this information in their possession, or the data they possess is inaccurate or outdated. Some manufacturers have performed the studies and have accurate data but have never used it. In any case, the data is important and I highly recommend that it be collected and put to good use. My professional preferences for data collection are time and motion studies, because they provide highly detailed information that is invaluable for improving cost, quality, and delivery.

Video cameras can be placed on the floor, focused in the general direction of the work area or inside the workstation. Although these cameras are perfect for capturing excess movement (walking) and excessive wait times, it is often difficult to catch each individual step the workers take while performing their job process. The clock on the camera runs continuously, and therefore the data collector reviews the recording and manually establishes and records the individual work times. A simple wristwatch can also be used to collect times associated with each work step, but, in my experience, it does not reflect actual time.

The best tool for time tracking is a stopwatch. By setting the watch to either seconds or minutes, you can accurately capture the true time it takes to perform a specific part of the process. At least six to eight samples should be collected for each task so that a solid average time can be calculated. This average takes into account any minor differences that occur in each sample.

The data collector should document the individual work steps from start to finish, beginning with the first workstation and proceeding down the line or process. The goal is to create a long, sequential list of work in progress, capturing every step that is taken. Figure 4.5 is an example of what this data may look like.

Figure 4.5. Work Content List, Main Assembly Line

To create an accurate picture of the current state of the work on the line, the observer must document every action. This action reveals the processes and their current inefficiencies, such as operators searching for tools and parts while performing the work. The information will indicate actions such as how often the operators leave their workstations and whether they must share tools while performing the work, or walk to a central storage area to find parts and documentation. When all steps are accurately captured, they must be identified as either value-added or non-value-added. Therefore, it’s critical to capture every single action.

Data collectors make mistakes when performing time and motion studies if they attempt to track too much at one time. It is nearly impossible to identify and document work steps and simultaneously time the events, especially for tasks that take less than eight seconds. The only good information is accurate information. Therefore, you must take sufficient time to perform these studies.

At the beginning of the exercise, leave the stopwatch in the desk and concentrate on recording the actual work steps without worrying about the time. During the day, production workers perform numerous activities, and you need to observe all of them. There may be line stoppages or changes in the product mix (on mixed-model lines), or the operators may change the order in which they perform tasks. Before beginning your task, approach the workstation and speak with the line operators. Explain that you will document their work steps in an attempt to learn the process on the line. Because you will not have a stopwatch, they are less likely to be nervous and will probably work at a productive pace. Ask them to maintain consistency in their steps so that you can collect accurate data.

It is important for the data collector to develop a positive relationship with the line workers, for a few key reasons. First, the data collector will be returning with a stopwatch, and therefore a good relationship established beforehand will serve to ease operator stress about being timed. Second, the collected information will be used to improve the process, and therefore it must be accurate. Starting off on the wrong foot will only create a sense of animosity, and line operators may be less inclined to be helpful. Third, creating a sense of teamwork and camaraderie with the operators is important because they will be participating in the kaizen events. Additionally, a line operator can be of great assistance with the initial data collection, helping the data collector gather all important area information before the time studies.

Once the work content has been documented, the data collector can begin the timing portion of the study, starting at any point in the build sequence. The data collector can time any area in any order. For example, she can start at the beginning of the process and then halt the study, if necessary, and move to another workstation. Flexibility is important, because, in reality, an issue on the line could force an operator to stop working for a brief period. This is another reason it is important to document the work steps first before attempting to capture time. By using these guidelines, a data collector can gather all the information efficiently and accurately.

High-priority waste should be identified and removed from the process as quickly as possible. I classify the action of an operator leaving a workstation as a high-priority waste in both action and associated time. By definition, operators are considered value-added because they build the product that brings profitability to a company. Their time must be focused and directed toward the work taking place in their stations. Walking around and searching for tools, parts, supervisors, documentation, standards, supplies, or any other item in need is high-priority waste. It has an immediate negative impact on the shop floor, creating bottlenecks as well as animosity between production workers. In addition, operators who frequently leave their work areas may lose focus and can possibly commit quality errors.

In my travels, I have been confronted by managers who did not want to add the cost associated with having materials handlers bring parts to workstations. Their argument may initially appear to be valid, because labor costs increase whenever workers are added. But placing materials and parts at the point of use (i.e., in the workstation) definitely results in a reduction of waste and a value-added activity, and this practice ultimately has a positive impact on cost, quality, and delivery.

At this point in the debate, my statements may seem to resolve the dilemma. Not yet. Often, the next management solution is to place an entire pallet or large bin of material inside the workstation to satisfy the need for parts replenishment. Unfortunately, this approach adds more to waste and cost than simply adding a materials handler to the process. Using this method, the organization incurs higher inventory costs and physically increases the size and length of the process. Storing large amounts of material requires more floor and workstation space, adding to delivery time, increasing the cost of doing business, and potentially even affecting quality. The solution to parts replenishment on the line is not to place large amounts of material within the manufacturing process. Nor is it to allow operators to gather their own parts. The more sensible resolution is to provide materials to the workstations in reasonable quantities and to employ materials handlers to deliver the goods as needed.

Not convinced? Consider the example of a dentist. When a dentist works on your teeth, he has an assistant who hands him tools and attends to your physical comfort. This practice allows the dentist to focus solely on your teeth and the important work he is performing. All the necessary tools and supplies are placed on a nearby tray within easy reach of the dentist and the assistant. The dentist and the assistant have no need to leave the patient to retrieve tools or other necessary items. In fact, leaving the patient during an important procedure would not be optimal performance or adequate patient care. Similarly, when line operators leave their workstations, they are practicing high-priority waste. Improvement teams should focus on eliminating high-priority waste as their first action of business. Leaving the workstation should be eliminated, and it usually can be accomplished with point-of-use parts, tools, documentation, and an adequate signal system to communicate operator needs like a tower light.

Medium-priority waste is generally associated with waste that occurs while operators are within their workstations. Operators are often required to remove parts from original supplier packaging. Removal of foam, shrink-wrap, tape, bags, and boxes can consume valuable assembly time and requires garbage cans or recycling bins in the production area. In regard to the seven deadly wastes, this would be considered overprocessing. Packaging should be removed in the receiving area unless the parts need to be protected from damage. It is a case-by-case situation, of course, but most parts can be delivered to the stations ready to install.

Two other examples of medium-priority waste are waste caused by imbalances in the work flow or from poor communication. Assembly lines should be well balanced to ensure a steady flow throughout the workday. During wait times, operators should be working together and flexing within the workstations, but this practice still does not solve the waste issue. To reduce or eliminate any problems in work flow, you should perform accurate time studies to evaluate the optimum work content balance.

Lack of timely information or insufficient communication can also cause unnecessary wait times. Operators trying to locate a production supervisor must have appropriate methods and signals to communicate their need. Without adequate ways to communicate, they may opt to leave their workstations, placing them in the high-priority waste category. Operators who cannot communicate their needs may continue to work without answers to their questions or without necessary supplies until the appropriate person happens to stop by the workstation. In some cases, they may need to stop work completely and just wait until someone comes by to address their need.

Poor workstation design can create wasted motion, which I also define as medium-priority waste. Lack of 5S and organization can make it difficult to locate items in the workstation. Workers can become frustrated if labels are difficult to read, part numbers are hard to distinguish, or torque values cannot be identified on tools. Poor tool installation, and tool holders without locking mechanisms, can also impede operations and cause frustration as well as safety issues. Having to read through deep piles of work instructions to locate the right procedures is also a significant waste of time. Although workstation items may be in close proximity, poor organization and station design create unnecessary motion.

Let’s go back to the article I read on my plane ride. It should be obvious now that lean manufacturing is a continuous journey, and that makes it nearly impossible for a company to be 100 percent waste free. Continuous improvement is the name of the game.

When I think about that “100 percent waste free” company, I wonder how it moves its product along the line. What approach has it taken to remove the movement of parts and product? Automated or not, this movement is non-value-added, and it’s an example of wasted motion. But it is nearly impossible to remove this movement from the build process. Some companies have implemented continuously moving assembly lines, where the operators walk as they install the parts. I do not recommend this practice, and I believe it is not conducive to good quality and safety. Let me give you an example of what happens when the line moves.

A company that manufactured vinyl windows attempted to install a moving line in one of its high-volume plants, where it operated approximately 22 manual and automated assembly lines. Some lines had conveyor belts, which were operated by the worker at the start of the process. He would finish his work on a window, place the window on the conveyor, and press the foot pedal to move the belt. The product moved, and operators on the line were forced to move with it while performing assembly, no matter where they were in their own assembly process.

It reminded me of an old I Love Lucy episode with Ethel and Lucy trying to put chocolate candies into boxes that moved past them at an increasing pace. Soon the two women weren’t able to keep up, and they started stuffing the candies into their clothes and then into their mouths. It was funny on TV, but in real life it’s anything but amusing. An analysis of internal and external quality data at the window company revealed a significant number of parts missing from the windows that flowed on conveyor belts. Even more telling, the parts most often missing were those that had to be installed. Because installing required time, the operators simply skipped that step; they had no time to do it. I also observed many operators lying on the moving conveyor belt, attempting to slow it down so that they could install parts.

My point is that some waste is nearly impossible to remove, and attempting to do so is not expected or desired. If you focus on the high- and medium-priority waste, you will make major improvements in your manufacturing processes. Don’t worry about not having enough to do. Remember that this journey is never-ending. You will be continually faced with inefficiencies and waste that will require removal.

The concept of work cells has increased in popularity over the years. Work cells are essentially teams that work together as autonomous groups, each building a specific line of products. Each work team is responsible for the quality, volume, and productivity of the entire cell. Manufacturing companies are transforming traditional assembly lines into work cells as part of their lean journey. There have been successes, as well as failures, with this transformation.

It is important to note that work cells are not appropriate for all manufacturing environments. They were initially created for small groups of people building small products using a minimal number of parts. The teams in a work cell work very close to each other, and there are very few parts and materials in the area. Operators can move from workstation to workstation, helping the team with flow and progress; therefore, work cell operators need to be highly skilled and cross-trained.

To reduce the number of parts in the process, materials are replenished more frequently in a work cell than on a line. I have seen work cells in which parts were replenished every 30 minutes. It was a highly organized system with aggressive 5S and visual management. The company had worked with its suppliers to bring in low quantities of material and had streamlined its internal inventory control and materials handling to accommodate frequent replenishments.

Companies that operate processes with large, bulky products and parts may not be successful with work cells. Work cells are optimal for smaller or highly customized products. Many organizations attempt to use work cells for long, multistation lines, but that makes the cells long and wide and defeats the concept of work teams and high visibility. Operators cannot easily move to and from workstations, and the large products require large parts, necessitating space for storage. Although this arrangement is not optimal, I am not implying that a long, multistation line cannot be broken into smaller cells that feed into each other. It can be done. A company needs to evaluate its specific process and decide whether work cells will be efficient. The same principle applies to materials replenishment. Large, bulky parts may not be delivered as often due to physical strain.

Be careful not to buy in to work cells instantly. You must stay within certain variables to make work cells operate effectively. Evaluate your processes and determine whether they are good candidates. Remember, lines can still be lean and are perfectly suitable for most manual and automated assembly processes.

How does your product flow? How will it flow after you implement lean manufacturing? These questions must be addressed. Products must move from one workstation or one process to another. As I’ve mentioned, this physical movement is wasted motion and you must apply careful consideration when deciding product flow. What works well for one manufacturer may not be the best solution for another. I will present a few options and then discuss the pros and cons of each.

Parts and materials are the blood supply of the manufacturing process. Therefore, they must be presented to operators in the most efficient manner possible. Manufacturers must remember the most fundamental aspect of materials presentation: point of use. With point of use comes the need for an effective materials replenishment system.

Materials handlers are a vital part of this system. In Lean Assembly: The Nuts and Bolts of Making Assembly Operations Flow (New York: Productivity Press, 2002), Michael Baudin compares the importance of a materials handler to the importance of a race car pit crew to its driver. In his example, the driver represents the line operator, racing around the track, jockeying for position. Major focus is placed on the driver as the value-added person on the team. However, at some point the driver must make a pit stop and refuel, get new tires, get clean windows, and receive water. The people in the pit crew are the materials handlers, servicing the car and driver before the driver heads back onto the track. Crew members follow clear, established procedures in a specific sequence. No matter how efficient the driver is, if the pit crew is not successful on every pit stop, the race could be lost. It is a collaborative effort that requires successful work on both ends.

When materials are presented to the operators, the materials must be ready for installation. As mentioned previously, packaging should be removed during the receiving stage before workstation presentation.

Each workstation requires a method for replenishment and a form of clear communication and signaling. For example, if the line is using the two-bin system, in which one empty bin is the signal for more parts, the established quantity must be identified either on the bin label or through the use of tower lights. Operators and materials handlers should be in constant communication, and material must be placed in the workstations in minimum quantities. Remember, the line is not a stockroom. Note that the two-bin system is outlined in detail in my book Kaizen Assembly: Designing, Constructing, and Managing a Lean Assembly Line (Boca Raton, FL: Taylor and Francis Group, 2006).

There are basically two approaches to tool placement: waist height or overhead. Tools should be easily accessible and never placed on the floor.

The best placement for air hoses is overhead. If the air tool must be presented at waist height because of the work performed in the workstation, be sure that the hoses are routed along the work area and kept off the floor. All hand tools should be placed on shadow boards (in which tools are depicted or outlined to show where they belong) or on a tool trolley. Tools should be clearly identified with a label that specifies all critical information, including appropriate locations and quantity for the specific workstation. Tools should never be shared among operators.

Be sure to develop and sustain a tool maintenance and management program, which will ensure that tools are cleaned and in proper working order. Always have backup tools on hand in the storeroom, and keep track of calibration, torque setting schedules, and time associated with repairing and replacing tools. This practice will help you to identify trends in trouble areas and will contribute to improvement efforts.

Another common mistake made in process design is failing to account for the fatigue experienced by operators when they stand on concrete for long periods. The use of antifatigue mats is an easily adopted measure that can increase productivity and improve operator morale. When selecting a mat, choose a style that cushions the foot. Test it by standing on the mat. A good mat shows a footprint after your foot is removed, meaning that the mat has absorbed weight and removed some fatigue. Create a mat replacement system to ensure that operators always stand on mats in good condition. Remember, antifatigue mats eventually experience fatigue, just like everything else. Replace them when their product life cycle is over.

During factory tours, I have noted potential safety issues related to improper use or nonuse of regulation safety glasses, earplugs, and gloves. A safety analysis is a must! Protective eyewear may not be needed plantwide, but certain operations that involve rivets or nails warrant the need for eye protection. Earplugs may also be necessary, depending on noise and decibel level. I recommend protecting people as much as possible.

Manufacturing factories should be bright and have a pleasant appearance. Painting the production floor is always recommended, although it can be costly. Manufacturers that have painted their factory floors have found added benefits in morale, productivity, and quality.

Workstations and work areas should be well lit. Do not rely on the fixtures hanging from the factory ceiling to provide adequate light. Many factories have a hazy appearance because the lighting is placed too high above the lines.

Bright lights and bright paint encourage a sense of performance and a good disposition. If you walk into any fitness center or gym, you will see that they are well lit and cheerily bright.

Like parts and tools, work instructions need to be available at the point of use. Work instructions should be placed in each station and not hidden in a cabinet.

Each work instruction should be developed based on the work performed in each target station. Unfortunately, documentation is sometimes a last-minute effort for busy engineers. Often, they simply copy and paste drawings or pictures from other instructions in an attempt to complete the documentation quickly. But the pictures are not always suitable for the work being performed. They may show the product without any parts installed, with parts from a prior workstation installed, or with all parts installed—but with no instructions on how the workstation should perform its specific task. Using inappropriate pictures or drawings only creates confusion for the operator.

Work instructions should always be a step-by-step process of how to complete a specific task within a specific workstation. That’s all—nothing more, nothing less.