Today a new word was added to the terminology section. Shitsuke, the last step of 5S.
Shitsuke:
The fifth step of 5S, can be translated to “discipline” but is often used as “sustain”. It is about about building a culture and process where the first four S’s are maintained. Shitsuke if achieved only where when maintaining 5S has become a habit and not a struggle.
Today a new word was added to the terminology section. Seiketsu, the fourth step of 5S.
Seiketsu:
The fourth step of 5S, often translated as “standardize”. It is about maintaining a standard for the first three steps. In a way it is about creating and auditing standards but not litteraly about the act of creating standards itself.
Today a new word was added to the terminology section. Seiso, the third step of 5S
Seiso:
The third step of 5S, literally means “cleaning”. It is about getting the workplace clean an tidy. A common misconception is that Seiso is just cleaning itself. Think of it as creating a basis for keeping a clean workplace by eliminating sources of dirt and grime.
Today a new word was added to the terminology section. Seiton, the second step of 5S.
Seiton:
The second step of 5S, usually translated to “set-in-order”. It is about organizing everything for easy access. A common slogan is “a place for everything and everything in its place”. This includes sequencing and labeling tools in a manner supporting the work to be done. A common practice is creating shadow boards.
Today a new word was added to the terminology section. Seiri, the first step of 5S.
Seiri:
The first step of 5S, usually translated to “sort”. It is about sorting everything in a workarea and decide if it is needed for getting the job done. Things not needed are removed.
I want to share a passion of mine, reading. Over time I will be adding more books that I recommend for other students of Lean.
First out is the classics, The Toyota Way and Lean Thinking. These are the books that really got me going and woke my thirst for more.
If you have any recommendations for me you are free to post below.
“Try and fail, but don’t fail to try.” – John Quincy Adams
Also, as I get on with my journey I strive to grow and learn, to take the next step on my journey. This have become my passion. As part of this I am experiencing that coaching other is an excellent way to develop my own skills.“The one exclusive sign of thorough knowledge is the power of teaching.” – Aristotle
Happy New Year to you all!
Kaizen – Change for better
Kaizen is the Japanese word for “Improvement”. The literal translation is “Change for Better”.
Within Lean is often referred to as Continuous Improvement, even though this is not in the literal translation is implied in its use. Continuous Improvement is one of the two base pillars of Lean, the other being respect for people (or respect for humanity).
The process of Kaizen is built around the philosophy that you should always strive to better yourself or better the processes of your business. Eliminating waste is the main focus of Kaizen and it is beneficial for both the workers and the company. One should always strive to root out waste and make daily improvements. The big improvements may be impressive, but the small improvements add up over time and make a culture of improvement present within all layers of the company. Each time an improvement is made it becomes deeper engrained in the culture of the company.
Exactly how these improvements are made differ through many different tools and methods. In the workplace the method of 5S is common to organize and set in order for an efficient work environment. When it comes to more advanced improvements it is common to work within the framework of PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Act).
No matter how you go about it you should always document the improvements made, this is important not only for benchmarking but also to learn and fully understand what has been done and why. Also, it is a great help if you are to spread a particular solution to other parts of the business. Due to the documentation some companies refer to form where you document your improvements as Kaizen and they are sometimes divided into different levels depending on the size of the improvement.
“Well begun is half done.” – Aristotle
Within Lean we often try to bring out problems to the forefront, showcase our opportunities for improvement and illustrate the bottlenecks of our processes. This is important, but how we move on from these discoveries is where we find success.“It is of no use to discover out own faults and infirmities unless the discovery prompts up to amendment.” – John Quincy Adams
It is easy to get stuck in one mode of thinking. With the myriad different challenges it is important to be flexible and to adapt thinking to the problem and not trying to adapt the problem to the solutions you prefer.“We can’t solve the problem by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein
The more I know, the more I stand by the creed of Plan, Do, Check and Act. Preparation is the key for a successful execution.“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln
Always stay curious!I am on my second week of summer vacation, being away from work sets your mind free to wander. To focus my mind I go back to some inspirational quotes of ancient and recent wisdom.
First we have something from antiquity that I truly live by and have most of my life.
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotele
Next we have two Deming quotes. Quite different but very important when it comes to leadership and Lean. The first one is straight forward, if people fear showing results they think will displease their managers they will find a way to make the numbers more pleasing.
“Whenever there is fear, you will get wrong figures.” – W. Edwards Deming
Then we have the role of a leader, some think it is important to have all the answers and stand tall with having all the facts. You can never have all the facts and if you think you do you will close your mind from further expansion from learning more. One very important role of the leader is to ask the right questions but also to coach the people in your charge to ask the right questions thenselves.
“If you do not know how to ask the right questions, you discover nothing.” – W. Edwards Deming
And the last one today is something I struggle with but something I strive to improve every day.
“Follow effective action with quiet reflection, and then from the quiet reflection will come even more effective action.” – Peter Drucker
I hope you all are having a good summer!
