5S Workplace Organization

5S is a reference to five Japanese words that describe standardized cleanup:

• Seiri : tidiness, organization. Refers to the practice of sorting through all the tools, materials, etc., in the work area and keeping only essential items. Everything else is stored or discarded. This leads to fewer hazards and less clutter to interfere with productive work.

• Seiton : orderliness. Focuses on the need for an orderly workplace. Tools, equipment, and materials must be systematically arranged for the easiest and most efficient access. There must be a place for everything, and everything must be in its place.

• Seiso : cleanliness. Indicates the need to keep the workplace clean as well as neat. Cleaning in Japanese companies is a daily activity. At the end of each shift, the work area is cleaned up and everything is restored to its place.

• Seiketsu : standards. Allows for control and consistency. Basic housekeeping standards apply everywhere in the facility. Everyone knows exactly what his or her responsibilities are. House keeping duties are part of regular work routines.

• Shitsuke : sustaining discipline. Refers to maintaining standards and keeping the facility in safe and efficient order day after day, year after year.

Often in the west, alternative terms are used to disguise the Japanese origins of the methodology. These are "Sort, Straighten, Shine, Systemise and Sustain" and "Safety" as a 6th optional S. These were arguably derived to prevent 5S from being perceived as yet another Japanese improvement process in an era when western industry was already being overwhelmed by strategies to combat foreign business. Alternative Americanizations have also been introduced, such as CANDO (Cleanup, Arranging, Neatness, Discipline, and Ongoing improvement). Even though he refers to the ensemble practice as "5S" in his canonical work, 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace, Hirano prefers the terms Organization, Orderliness, Cleanliness, Standardized Cleanup, and Discipline because they are better translations than the alliterative approximations. There is a photo of a Japanese sign in 5 Pillars that shows the latin "5S" mixed with Kanji. Additional practices are frequently added to 5S, under such headings as 5S Plus, 6S, 5S+2S, 7S, etc. The most common additional S is for Safety mentioned above.