Category: Terminology

I Really Don’t Understand the Purpose of 6S

The 5S method has been around a long time. With it’s roots in CANDO from Henry Ford it has matured and become a solid method to bring order and efficiency to the workplace (or home for that matter). It has stuck around this long because it works.

Variations of 5S

I recent years it has become more and more common to see variations, 6S, 7S and yesterday I even saw a 10S chart. I still can’t figure out if the last one was a joke or serious. It is only natural that a method evolves over time but it is important that changes are in tune with its roots.

The sixth S in 6S is Safety and we can all agree that safety is very important. Working in industrial manufacturing it can, in some cases, literally be a matter of life and death. Even if it is not that serious it is still important to be able to return home every day safe and sound.

Now my problem is not with safety but with it not fitting in as a next step. “How do you mean safety don’t fit with 5S?” You might ask yourself. Safety is an integral part of 5S from the start, even if it is not apparent at first glance.

The Structure of 5S

5S in its basic form is a method of steps. Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. Each step build on the previous to create a workplace of order and structure that is easy to maintain.

To set in order it is important to first sort out and remove all tools and materials that you don’t use. If you don’t you waste time and space sorting things that is of no use. When you have set things in order it is much easier to shine the workplace to find and eliminate sources of dirt and grime. And once you have things sorted, organized and clean you can establish this as a standard. Lastly when there is a standard you work with the team to maintain the standards and even improve upon them to sustain what you have accomplished. Well, you get the general idea.

What is Wrong With Safety?

There is nothing wrong with safety, rather the opposite, it is paramount for a successful workplace. Safety is the foundation on which all good teams are built. My problem with safety is that is does not fit as a sixth S.

5S is a method that take years to implement fully from the start. Sure, you get momentum at first and see big improvements but to make it an integral part of your daily operations, to make the team fully committed to sustaining this order, it takes time. Putting safety as the sixth step to implement after you have archived the previous five is too late.

5S is safety!

My take on this is that safety don’t need to be the sixth S since it is and should always be a part of 5S from the start. When you remove the clutter for the workplace you make is safer, when you set thing in order you make it less likely that anyone have an accident. When the place is clean there are no dirt or grime to slip on. And if you can maintain the standard you are in fact support keeping the workplace safe.

In every step of 5S you have the opportunity to implement safety. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) need order and structure to be easy to use and be accessible when it is needed. It is all connected.

In my opinion 6S does not bring anything to the table that 5S don’t already do. I think it is important to keep your guiding principles simple and you methods focused for the greatest effect. Don’t fix what is not broken!




A new year!

After a hiatus of focused university studies combined with full time work. I am back to working on my own development in the area of lean and thus this site.

Today I have added a few phrases connected to measuring throughput in an operation. There is of course more to come and I hope to write a few articles in the coming weeks to dig deeper into some juicy subject.

Hope you are all doing well, see you around!




Walk a mile

Within Lean an important practice is to go and see. This should not only be used when there is a known problem. To observe teaches you many things about processes and practices in the organization.

Gemba Walk

“A practice of walking the gemba, the actual place where work is done. The purpose is to observe and learn the true conditions of a certain process.”



Excellence as a habit

A core practice of all Lean companies is to continuously evaluate and improve the practices of the company. It is a simple concept but takes discipline and perseverance to master.

Continuous Improvement

“Ongoing work to always look at ways of improving the processes and practices. The idea is that many small changes over time add up to big change/improvement.”




A milestone on our journey

To my great surprise I realised that the terminology section has grown to 75 words and phrases. That is quite a few and more are coming. I have also updated many of them but I don’t keep track of the number of modifications.

On the journey of learning more about Lean many of the words and phrases have been new to me and it has been my pleasure sharing them with you.

Thank you for stopping by!




For all to see!

What is hidden cannot be seen, it sounds simple but is actually profound. Bring all aspects of production to light and make everyone able to take part.

Visual Management:

It is using visual means to show the process, it’s flow and any deviations to the process. Thus making it easy to understand and bring to light any problems that need to be addressed.




Pasta for clarity

It can be hard to see patterns in the chaos. A way to start is by using a spaghetti diagram to show patterns of movement for the operator.

Spaghetti Diagram:

It is a diagram of all the movements of an operator during work. This way you can easily see patterns and wasted movement as a basis for improvement.




Getting to the bottom!

To solve a problem it is imperative to find the actual problem at the bottom of it all.

Root Cause:

The actual and initial cause of something happening. Used to describe the origins of errors in production or services to be sure you solve the source of a problem and not a symptom.




Smooth sailing!

Nagare:

Japanese for “flow of people/things/fluids/gasses”. It is the philosophy of creating a smooth production flow. See also One Piece Flow.




It’s about time!

One of the base pillars of the Toyota Production System. With everything in place at the right time and in the right quantity and quality the base requisites for a predictable and even process are set.

Just in Time:

Delivery of goods or services at the exact time they are needed, at the quantity and quality that is needed. One of the two base pillars of the Toyota Production System.