1. To Create a Workplace suited for Visual Control and Lean Production

2. The Six Ss Is not Six Sigma
A highly disciplined process that focuses on developing and delivering near-perfect products and services
6S is Sort, Straighten, Shine (Scrub), Safety, Standardize, Sustain
5-S… in Japanese factories
Focus: orderliness
6th S added in some US companies… Safety
Combines orderliness with safety / ergo
Overall intention: CLEAN, SAFE, ORDERLY
First step on Lean Journey

3. Visual Factory/Office
1st Level: See the Shop/Office
Basic 6S
90% never get beyond this point
2nd Level: See the work
In 5 Seconds, can you see what’s going on?

4. 6S Think of 6-S as a repeating action sequence: Remember…
1: SORT OUT - get rid of what’s not needed
2: STRAIGHTEN - organize what belongs
3: SCRUB - clean up, see and solve problems
4: SAFETY - make the work area safe
5: STANDARDIZE - assign tasks, track visually
6: SUSTAIN - keep it up (audit and insist)
Remember…
This applies to all areas (value-adding and administrative)
Basic "6-S” is part of establishing any cell

5. Sort GET RID OF WHAT’S NOT NEEDED Start with a red tag campaign
Tag everything that looks disorderly or unsafe
Be ruthless (90% of the time you'll be OK, you'll get over the 10%)
If in doubt throw it out
If still in doubt, send it to a “red tag area” for resolution
You should be removing truckloads of items… be tough (sometimes you’ll need to ask for forgiveness later!)

6. Straighten ORGANIZE WHAT BELONGS Create a place for everything
Meet with shop/office personnel on what should be where
Deal with the open red tags from the "Sort Out" step:
Organize parts and material
Resolve things you were afraid to throw out
Write off or sell off obsolete materials

7. Straighten

8. Straighten

9. Straighten

10. Straighten

11. Scrub CLEAN UP, SEE AND SOLVE PROBLEMS
Make the work area absolutely clean
Clean everything (equipment, floors, walls…)
Paint everything (equipment, floors, walls…)
Look for problems…
Leaks?
Loose or missing items
Unsafe conditions
Causes of messes or problems…
Quality issues
Solve problems (root cause), take corrective action (prevent)

12. Scrub

13. Safety MAKE THE WORKPLACE SAFER
Look for unsafe conditions
Look for potential for unsafe acts
Look for difficult tasks (are they ergonomic?)
Try the jobs yourself… where could you get hurt?
List the opportunities
Resolve them
Put creativity before capital and put safety first!!!

14. Safety

15. Standardize ASSIGN TASKS AND MANAGE VISUALLY
Who will do what to keep the area clean, safe and orderly?
Agree on daily and weekly tasks
Establish a visual management system for these tasks
Can you tell at a glance if the tasks have been done?

16. Standardize

18. Sustain KEEP IT UP (AUDIT AND INSIST)
Develop audit checklists for office and for shop floor
Assign the audit role to someone outside the area
Track the audit results (a bit of friendly competition?)
Hold yourselves accountable for sustaining

19. Sustain - Maintain The Gains
Create checklist for entire area & all items within the area
Use checklist daily or weekly as appropriate
Once a year have Examiners perform independent review
Fix and clean daily
Continue to train & heighten awareness
Remember you are World Class! Act like it.

20. Sustain - 6S Scorecard
0 = No evidence that 6S is being considered for implementation
1 = Some evidence of 6S being started
2 = 6S is partially implemented (some gains are evident)
3 = 6S has been implemented but not self-sustaining
4 = 6S has been implemented & is self-sustaining (standard throughout)
5 = 6S is entrenched; efforts have resulted in high achievements
6 = “Out-of-the-box”; Area is doing extraordinary things, above & beyond the norm

21. Sustain - 6S Scorecard
0 – 20 = Some organization, needs much improvement
21 – 40 = Signs of 6S in place, good organization, needs more time to mature
41 – 60 = 6S implemented, signs of maturing, not self-sustaining
61 – 80 = 6S implemented, system is self-sustaining
81 – 100 = 6S is entrenched with high achievements
100+ = Extraordinary, over-and-above, “outside-the-box”

22. Visual Management Make normal / abnormal conditions obvious with
Floor and surface marking
Shadow boxes
Samples
Visual indicators
Obstacle height limits
Lights and sounds
Arrows, zones, stickers
Scoreboards
Labels and tags

23. For Shops Remove unnecessary items
All cleaning material stored in a neat manner
Floors clean of debris, oil and dirt
Bulletin boards updated, straight and neat
Easy access to emergency equipment, highly visible
Items on floors are in clearly marked areas
Aisles are clear and kept free of material
Storage of boxes is square, neat, orderly
Machines, tools, equipment kept clean
Nothing on top of machines or cabinets
Documents and binders stored in a neat manner
Tools, jigs, fixtures, details are labeled, shadowed, identified, easy to reach
Shelves, benches, desks kept free of unused objects, including files and documents

24. For Offices Remove unnecessary items, minimum personal items
Cleaning equipment stored in a neat manner
Floors clean and free of debris and dirt
Bulletin boards are updated, straight and neat
Easy access to emergency equipment, stored in a prominent manner
Nothing on the floor but furniture, CPU, recycle bin and garbage can
Office layout posted at each entrance, name and task/position outside cubicle/office
Office equipment and furniture is functional and in good repair
Paper, cabinets, and bins squared up, centered and at right angles, PC wiring is routed and secured/clamped
Desks, surfaces, cabinets, chairs cleaned weekly
Nothing on top of overheads or cabinets, nothing leaning against walls or columns, everything labeled
Documents and binders stored in a neat and orderly manner
Shelves, cabinets, desks kept free of unused objects, including files and documents

25. Acknowledgements “Lean Thinking” by James Womack and Daniel Jones
“Toyota Production System” by Taiichi Ohno
Simpler Business System,