Todd Taylor's Blog - Toyota's 5s Process

Thursday, January 05, 2006 3:35:27 AM UTC :: Filed Under Misc

Most people associate the brand Toyota with quality and reliability. How did Toyota manage to get that reputation? One way is their '5S' process:

"The concept of 5S originated in Japan. They form the backbone of the workplace organization in the Toyota Production System. 5S is a series of steps for individuals and teams to arrange their work areas for optimum safety, comfort and productivity.

The exact translation of 5S is difficult because the words are coined terms. Imagine translating some of the phrases that we use every day - benchmarking, flea market and stand down illustrate the problem. So, not all organizations use the same English words for 5S. Hiroyuki Hirano's book, entitled ‘5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace,’ calls them Sort, Set in Place, Shine, Standardize and Sustain." - How to Make 5S Stick by Fletcher Birmingham

In summary, the 5S's mean:

Sort is a process for clearing out rarely used items by using a Red Tagging System.
Straighten (Set in Place) is a process for creating a visual workplace where everything is labeled and organized.
Shine is a cleaning process that includes maintenance.
Standardize is the creation of procedures and policies for sustaining the first three Ss.
Sustain is the use of regular management audits to maintain the discipline of the 5S process.

I would like to be able to keep my workplace and home sorted, straightened and shining all the time :-)