Column
Shine (Seiso)
The third S is Seiso which we translate as Shine. Seiso
becomes a clear indicator of whether a plant has adopted
lean manufacturing culture.
Processes must be
designed to minimize mess-
es and messes must be
cleaned up immediately.
Clean equipment operates
better, and clean work-
s p a ce s a re s a f e r a n d
enhance productivity. It’s
vital that when a mess
o cc u r s i t i s re m e d i e d
immediately. If the culture
supports this as a priority,
messes will not be allowed
to accumulate. If one mess
is ignored, it’s very easy for
things to go bad quickly.
When I’ve been asked to
explore issues with produc-
tion consistency, messiness
is common to plants and
equipment which are not
being cleaned and main-
tained properly. Conversely,
due to Seiso, 5S plants find
that they can often identify
production and equipment issues before they escalate,
because the symptoms aren’t hidden by a mess.
The 5S organizational
methodology is a
technique derived
from the Toyota model
which supports a lean
manufacturing culture
by creating standard
practices and language
at each work cell.
5S improves tactical
efficiency while making
it easier to identify
issues when they occur.
Standardize (Seiketsu)
The fourth S is Seiketsu which we translate as Standardize.
Standard work is a requirement of consistent outputs.
Without standard work, operators each establish their own
production methods leading to inconsistent outputs and pro-
ductivity. While open communication and collaboration help
to improve processes, once a process has been agreed on, it
must be adhered to until a change is implemented. Daily sched-
ules of standard operating procedures increase output
consistency and keep everyone on the same page. If platforms
and equipment can also be standardized, the potential for
consistency increases even more. Seiketsu is constantly target-
ing the most efficient way to create an output, and the resources
it creates makes the hiring, training, and transitioning of employ-
ees much easier.
Sustain (Shitsuke)
The final S is Shitsuke, which we translate as Sustain. This is
where 5S transitions from a methodology to a culture, as we
develop the controls and procedures to ensure that the meth-
ods and standards we’ve created are being adhered to.
@graphicarts
Standard work with a clean, ergonomic, well organized produc-
tion cell makes visual management much easier. A sustainment
plan with reporting on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis can
keep line managers in intimate contact with plant operations
and allow them to make well-informed and concise reports to
senior management.
In action, 5S ensures that operators have the resources they
need at the time they need them and that the resources and
equipment are ready to use. In one plant, operators were
spending between 10 and 25 minutes looking for plates for
their next job in a plate room. By creating job carts that arrived
as one job ended, with all of the supplies for the new job, and
carried away remnants from the old, hours of production were
recouped.
Simple processes like that can help to bolster margins but they
really aren’t simple. They require the process to be mapped
out. Who is responsible for loading the cart? Where will the
supplies be stored and what system will be used? What hap-
pens to the plates and supplies from the previous job? All of
these questions must be answered, the processes documented
in the master production document, and the staff trained. Then,
when everything is running well, it all needs to be explored
again to find the next level of efficiency.
Conclusion
To be effective 5S needs to be implemented at every produc-
tion cell. Each cell engages in visual reporting and line
supervisors monitor the reporting to ensure that standard work
is being adhered to. Everyone collaborates on ways to improve
the standard work with respect to 5S, and always with an
honourary sixth S, Sahou translated as Safety, in mind.
It requires diligence and persistence, but when 5S is combined
with optimized production planning and flow, senior leadership
can assess the state of plant simply and accurately. The efficien-
cies realized by implementing 5S will result in greater employee
satisfaction, additional plant productivity, and higher margins.
Dan Sparrow has been at the disruptive forefront of the industry for
the last twenty five years in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. He is
currently a consultant to consumer brands and print manufacturers,
with a focus on lean production, automation, and digital
transformation. He can be reached at [email protected]
GRAPHIC ARTS MAGAZINE | September 2018 | 33