Does 5S Payoff On The Bottom-Line?

It is hard to argue against cleanliness. But, is there really a bottom-line payoff to 5S? The answer is "Yes-- but, it is difficult to quantify." The reasons for this un-gratifying answer lie in the improvement mechanisms of 5S.

Visual Control and 5S organize, streamline and cleanup the workplace. But the direct savings are at a micro-level--thousands of small, intermittent motion and time reductions across many departments and activities.
Five-S increases pride and morale. These are notoriously difficult to measure. Yet, as every military person knows, very real and important.
Finally, other concurrent changes in personnel, processes and procedures may mask the effects of 5S. A recent search for documented 5S savings found nothing. Such articles may exist, but they are not widely disseminated.

I believe that 5S IS valuable although it may not be the first priority on a Lean journey. Lean Implementation discusses priorities and how to plan an implementation from fundamental factors rather than from cloning or a pre-determined formula.

If you decide that the time is right for 5S in your plant, we have a new article on The Basics of Five-S and Visual Control. We can also provide training for managers and workers. We also offer a 5S Training Kits for your own program.

All the best from the Strategos team,

Quarterman Lee

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