This is the twelfth post in a series taken from a lesson in Pyzdek Institute Lean Six Sigma Black Belt training. Future posts will continue the topic. You can find all of the articles in the series by searching this site for the title.

Standardized Cleanup

Standardized cleanup is used to maintain the 5S activities described so far. The definition is somewhat circular: when the 5S activities of Sort, Set in Order, and Shine are properly maintained, then you have standardized 5S. When 5S has been standardized you avoid backsliding.

Determine Responsibilities

The tools needed for standardized cleanup include the tools already introduced: 5S maps and 5S schedules. In addition you’ll need a new tool: the 5S Cycle Chart (see Figure 1). To create such a chart you sort the duties into Sort, Set in Order, and Shine categories and use a letter code to identify the cycle period. The resulting 5S Job Cycle Chart can be used as a checklist by the personnel responsible for the various 5S activities.

Chart of 5S Job Cycle
Figure 1: 5S Job Cycle Chart

Integrate Sort, Set in Order, and Shine with the Work Routine

Make these three 5S activities a part of the normal work done in the work cell. This integration will reinforce the idea that 5S isn’t something added on to the work being done, it is an integral part of it. One mechanism for implementing this is “Visual 5S.” As with the visual workplace in general, the purpose of visual 5S is to be able to tell at a glance that 5S activities are being done on an ongoing basis. For example, if Set in Order requires that  tools are kept on a pegboard, then the tool outlines on the pegboard will indicate which tools are currently in use. This means that any blank space observed on the pegboard at the start or end of the shift is an indication of a problem.

Another mechanism is 5-minute 5S. This is similar to the 5-minute shine described earlier, only the scope is the entire 5S program. Don’t get hung-up on the “5-minute” part of this activity, it’s just an easy to remember tag. However, think of it as something you do quickly. You may want to use a visual display to make it easier to track your 5-Minute 5S activities, such as that shown in Figure 2.

Signboard of 5 Minute 5S
Figure 2: 5 Minute 5S Signboard

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