ix
Introduction
At rst glance, the improvement techniques within the Lean philosophy appear
to provide a solution to many types of production-related issues. A powerful and
effective improvement philosophy, Lean can prevent company failure or launch
an organization into world-class operational excellence.
I have been a Lean practitioner for more than 15 years and have been
involved in many Lean transformations. It does not matter the industry you
work in, the product you produce, and even the processes your company uses
to transform something to a nished good, the problems and opportunities you
face are the same as those of everyone else. Your company is not “ different”
or an exception. You, as a Lean practitioner, desire a smoother-running facility,
reduced lead times, more capacity, improved productivity, exible processes,
usable oor space, reduced inventory, and so on. Organizations implement
Lean to make localized improvements or they can use Lean to transform the
entire culture of the business. Regardless of your aspirations and goals for Lean,
you and many other companies face another similar situation: getting out of
what I call boardroom Lean and moving toward implementation.
Have no illusions: Lean is about rolling your sleeves up, getting dirty, and
making change. True change comes on the production oor, in the maintenance
shop, and in all the other areas of the organization and by implementing the
concepts of Lean. Companies often become stuck in endless cycles of training
and planning, with no implementation ever happening. This playbook is your
guideline for implementation and is written for the pure Lean practitioner look-
ing for a training tool and a guideline that can be used in the work area while
improvements are conducted. There is no book, manual, or reference guide that
provides color images and detailed step-by-step guidelines on how to properly
implement 5S (Sort, Set in Order, Scrub, Standardize, Sustain) and the visual
workplace. The implementation of 5S is a manually intensive action, and con-
ducting 5S projects properly takes experience and direction. The 5S Playbook
is not a traditional book, as you can probably see. It is not intended to be read
like another Lean business book. The images in this playbook are from real
5S implementations, and I use a combination of short paragraphs and bulleted
descriptions to walk you through how to effectively implement 5S.
x ◾ Introduction
Little or no time is wasted on high-level theory, although an introductory
portion is dedicated to the 8 Wastes and Lean metrics. An understanding of
wastes and metrics is needed to fully benet from this playbook. I am not
implying that high-level theory or business strategies lack value; they are highly
valuable. This playbook is for implementation, so it will not contain ller
information. Chapter 1 gets you started right away and outlines how to use the
Sort process in a work area. You will see how to properly conduct the red tag
process and create categories for the items that need to be removed. Chapter1
also gives you recommendations on the nal disposition of these unneeded
items so they truly leave the company.
Chapter 2 is a longer chapter as it covers the Set-in-Order phase of a 5S
implementation. Generally, the most labor intensive of the processes, you will
nd multiple images of shadow boards, oor markings, location designations,
and shelf organization. Different examples are provided of Set in Order to
enhance your upcoming implementation. Each implementation is different,
andseeing diverse examples will help you decide how you will apply the concept
atyour organization.
Chapters 3 and 4 are relatively shorter in comparison to Chapter 2. The Scrub
phase of 5S is explained not only by illustrating the importance of cleanliness
during a 5S implementation but also by showing how to prepare the work area
ahead of time. Chapter 4 outlines the concept of Standardization by explaining
the importance of consistency in each implementation you conduct. Tape or paint
colors, as examples, can have certain denitions, and these meanings should be
standard across the company. By following a standard visual workplace guideline,
implementation will become smoother and easier to lead as everyone is following
the same general guideline.
The importance of Sustaining is illustrated in Chapter 5 through real examples
of end-of-day reset procedures, daily walk-throughs, 5S audits, and 5S tracking
systems. These systems are critical for maintaining performance gains achieved
after a 5S implementation and allow a foundation for continuous improvement.
As a bonus, Chapter 6 is a step-by-step guideline for creating and constructing a
shadow board. This great tool shows you the 10 steps necessary for a 5S-compliant
shadow board for tools and supplies. Multiple examples are given throughout this
manual, and I provide more in Chapter 6.
Remember that this is an implementation guide. It is intended to be a hands-on
guideline for your kaizen events. 5S is a powerful improvement tool within Lean;
this manual will help you conduct effective and worthwhile implementations.
Good luck.
Chris Ortiz
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