Lean 5S: Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! (#56)


This blog will describe the Third “S” in the Lean 5S Visual Management Event: Shine. It is the third blog of a five-blog series.

Not to brag, but my mom raised a pretty great chef. One of the most valuable cooking lessons, of which I have applied in other aspects of my life, was “clean while you cook.” When I was younger, cleaning was not my favorite past time. Especially when I could make a mess in the kitchen, according to my dad!

Clean while you cook is the foundation of the third “S,” Shine. The third “S” focuses on constructing the habit and discipline it takes to maintain a clear and organized work area throughout the entire day. 

Doing so is critical in the Visual Management of your work environment. How are you supposed to recognize problems in a disordered work area?

Think of this example; you walk into a grocery store while you’re on vacation in search of sunscreen, bottled water, and some snacks. Odds are you haven’t been in that particular grocery store so you aren’t familiar with the layout. How are you going to find what you need if things are placed in no particular order or if that store has no signs to let you know where things are?

The second “S,” Set in Order, focuses on creating an organized environment to limit the need to search. The third “S,” Shine, focuses on managing the organized environment on a daily basis. If there is not a daily management of 5S, the environment will revert back to its old, chaotic process.

The most difficult aspect of Shine is the discipline behind it. That discipline must begin with the company’s leaders, through their example. My favorite example is one where a Plant Manager would walk through the facility every day to meet with the different plant operators. Every time he saw trash in an area, he simple picked it up and threw it away. Never once did he tell anyone else to clean it up; he never reprimanded anyone. He led by example.

An example that was contagious. Operators saw his habit and began to pick up trash if they saw it. A new habit was born. Just a few months after this 5S implementation, the entire facility was changed considerably.

How do you create a habit of 5S? Let us count the ways! Having a distinct description of the operators cleaning/organizing expectations is a good start. The easiest way to do this is having a display 5S board in an area like the employee lounge. Using visual aids and definitions will help create a clear definition of expectations.

Having the area audited for conformity to 5S Standards. These audits should produce a score which can be used in team evaluations. Teams with consistent, good scores should be rewarded. We’ll go into more detail into that in the fourth blog, Standardize, in this series.

Having an Area Champion. This person should own the change in their area, make sure it is upheld. These champions should alternate periodically throughout the business year.

Having a reason. Creating friendly competition between different areas or facilities will promote a desire to create good and lasting change. Present winning teams with catered lunch or gift cards to your local coffee house.

What is your experience with the third phase, “Shine” of the 5S Visual Management Implementation?


About Six Sigma Development Solutions, Inc.
We are Certified as an Accredited Training Organization with the International Association of Six Sigma Certification (IASSC)
“The IASSC Accredited Training Organization (ATO) designation validates Six Sigma Development Solutions, Inc. has demonstrated adequate management systems, courseware with a high degree of correlation to the subject matter contained in the IASSC Bodies of Knowledge, delivery schema consistent with such content and highly qualified instructors.”
We Provide Public Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification Training Courses in 34 Cities across the globe.
Our Training Centers are located in: Albuquerque, New Mexico | Anchorage, Alaska | Atlanta, Georgia | Austin, Texas | Boston, Massachusetts | Calgary, Canada | Charlotte, North Carolina | Chicago, Illinois | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cleveland, Ohio | Columbus, Ohio | Dallas, Texas | Denver, Colorado | Detroit, Michigan | Dubai, UAE | El Paso, Texas | Fort Smith, Arkansas | Honolulu, Hawaii | Houston, Texas | Indianapolis, Indiana | Jacksonville, Florida | Kansas City, Missouri | Las Vegas, Nevada | London, England | Los Angeles, California | Louisville, Kentucky | Memphis, Tennessee | Mexico City, Mexico | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Montreal, Canada | Nashville, Tennessee | New Orleans, Louisiana | New York City, New York | Northwest Arkansas | Orlando, Florida | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Phoenix, Arizona | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Portland, Oregon | Raleigh, North Carolina | Salt Lake City, Utah | San Diego, California | Seattle, Washington | St. Louis, Missouri | Tampa, Florida | Toronto, Canada | Vancouver, Canada | Washington, DC

We Provide Onsite Lean Six Sigma Certification Training. Some of the training's we provide are: Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Lean Six Sigma Champions Training and Lean Certifications for Healthcare, Finance, I.T, Manufacturing, Processing, Logistics, Retail Sales and Government.
SSDSI will come to your site to train for your choice of the Lean Six Sigma Certification Levels. Onsite training is more cost effective than open enrollment training when training larger groups of team members.
Benefits of Onsite Training:
The Training is focused on Your Opportunities
SSDSI uses your opportunities in class (vs. generic examples)
You will get the experience of a seasoned Lean and Six Sigma Master Black Belt who will help mentor you while completing your Lean and Six Sigma Project
You can train up to 20 employees for one fixed cost (this cost includes course ware and the instructors travel & lodging)
Our courses are full of games, simulations, and active learning to help the adult learner
SSDSI can customize the training to meet your company’s particular training needs
Call Kevin Clay at 214-731-3176 or email at kclay@sixsigmadsi.com for more information

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