Step One 5S - Step Two Kaizen

Four of my posts this month have been about 5S. Kaizen is a natural companion to 5S.

The fifth "S" is to sustain. Sustain means engage in activities that ensure the gains accomplished through 5S are maintained and improved on. This is done by feeding back to the other four steps information that allows corrections and improvements to be made. Kaizen is the perfect tool for accomplishing this.

Kaizen is a process of continual improvement. It is a process of taking suggestions from those directly involved in getting the work done and implementing those suggestions quickly to create a continual stream of improvements. That's exactly what the fifth step of 5S requires.

We have a free Kaizen guide available that can help you understand kaizen, get an overview of the benefits of kaizen and read a quick synopis of what it takes to implement kaizen. You'll see that once you've moved into implementing 5S, the next logical step is begin using kaizen techniques.

Using 5S In Tough Times

It can feel like you are getting squeezed from the top and the bottom. Your suppliers what to charge you more and your customers are telling you to cut your prices or they'll find another supplier. And sales are way down because your traditional customers are putting off their purchases, so cash flow is tight. What can you do?

One thought is to consider that this may be a good time to implement a lean manufacturing technique such as 5S. 5S is one of the foundational principles of lean manufacturing. It can be implemented with a minimum of cost and the benefits can be significant.

What is 5S? It is an approach to cleaning up and getting organized that helps eliminate waste, improve productivity, reduce maintenance and improve safety. How does it do this?

Cleaning up and getting organized sounds easy... almost as though it is so simple that there can't really be any benefits. After all, everyone puts their tools away and sweeps up at the end of the day. 5S is actually a simple, common sense idea, but it involves a little more than just putting tools away and sweeping the floor, and that's were the benefits come from.

For example, when a machine is keep clean, and cleaned up every day, it becomes easy to spot maintenance problems such as oil leaks as soon as they develop. That way small problems can be caught early and fixed while they are small and easy to fix.

5S also provides methods for identifying waste and unused tools. It provides a systematic approach to getting organized. And it implements procedures and practices that maintain the benefits that are achieved.

If you'd like to find out more about 5S I recommend an Introductory Guide to 5S that is available free. It provides an overview of 5S and the benefits of 5S, allowing you to determine whether 5S will be of value in your company, facility or organization.

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Learning The kaizen Ropes

You may have heard the words... Kaizen, Kanban, 5S, but they sound strange and don't mean anything. You are hearing that kaizen can help improve your business... it can cut costs, improve quality, and develop new products. You've heard your competition may be using kaizen and that's why they seem to have a new product coming out every month. What is kaizen? How does kaizen work? What are the benefits of kaizen?

There are many questions and many unknowns.

A good place to start is with a booklet called Introduction To Kaizen. It is free and it provides a quick overview of kaizen; how kaizen is implemented; and what benefits you can expect. Use the link above to order your copy.

Kaizen is a system of continual improvement using small steps that come from employee suggestions. It harnesses the resources you already have in your employees, those who are closest to what is going on in your facility, and uses that resource to find ways to improve your business. Typically suggestions resulting from kaizen are low-cost changes that can be implemented quickly. This means that using kaizen you can get a "big bang" for your buck... a great ROI, and improved and new products that help you overcome the competition.

Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) - What is it?

You may have heard the acronym TPM or the words "Total Productive Maintenance," but what do they mean? What is TPM and can it help you improve your bottom line?

TPM is defined as an equipment management program that uses equipment operator involvement in machine maintenance and in continuously improving machine operation. The person who best knows a machine, is also the person responsible for routine machine maintenance. The result is that problems are identified and repaired sooner, reducing the need to major overhauls and long maintenance outages. Machines run longer and are more productive.

A good way to learn more about TPM, and the benefits of TPM, is by reading a short booklet about TPM that is available free. Called An Introduction to TPM, this easy-to-read guide provides a comprehensive introduction to TPM and the benefits of TPM. It gives you the information you need to take the first step in evaluating whether TPM can be a benefit in your company or organization.

Help With 5S Implementation

Elsmar Cove Forums currently has a good discussion in progress that was started when someone asked for 5S success stories. The result is some good advice about implementing 5S, as well as a list of excellent 5S rules... things that should be done as a part of a 5S program.

You can visit this discussion by going to: http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=29863

Introduction to 5S

The economy is slowing and we are all looking for ways to become more competitive. We need to cut our costs without impacting quality. We need to find ways to deliver a better value to our customers. We need to improve productivity. 5S can be the first step in this process.

5S is a foundational lean manufacturing technique that can deliver substantial benefits. The basic principles underlying 5S are cleaning up, getting organized, and maintaining that condition. It sounds simple, and it is... although accomplishing these goals does take planning, effort and management support.

A good place to start is with the Graphic Products' free guide: Introduction to 5s.

This free guide provides a quick introduction to 5s, how it can be implemented and the benefits of 5S. It provides "getting started" information allowing you to evaluate whether 5S is right for your facility or organization, and whether you should invest in investigating 5S further.

Find out if 5S can help your organization get through these tough times. Get your free copy of Introduction to 5S.