Foundational Concepts of Lean
Lean manufacturing utilizes a number of strategies and tools to improve the business by boosting productivity and eliminating waste. The following are just a handful of the most common Lean tools, many have been adopted from manufacturing in Japan and the Toyota Production System . 5S (The Visual Workplace) 5S is a system of creating…
Jesse Allred | June 7, 2019 | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Kanban, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 3 min read
The 5S Shine Pillar – Inspection and Maintenance
The third step of 5S is Seiso, a Japanese term translated to mean Shine. During Shine, workers are encouraged to do a deep cleaning of their space, ensuring there is no grime, dust, or oil spills remaining. However, it is important to remember that cleaning is not the only facet of this phase and that…
Jesse Allred | January 15, 2019 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
How to Organize Your Shop: Try 5S
Are you needing some organization in your workshop? Do you spend more time trying to find tools and supplies and less time actually working? Are you hoping to improve your efficiency and cut your waste down? Would doing all of this help to improve quality to the customer and possibly even reduce prices? Well, you…
Tony Ferraro | October 1, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace | 3 min read
What is 5S and How Should We Implement It?
5S is, in the simplest terms, a method of creating, maintaining and improving a workplace which is clean, orderly, and has methods for detecting waste and errors built in. When used properly, it will help to identify areas where things are being done inefficiently, and come up with solutions for improvement. It will help to…
Tony Ferraro | September 4, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
Executing a 5S Launch
If you’re considering implementing a 5S system in a facility, it is essential to take the time to do it right. When done properly, the 5S system can be an effective way to clean and organize a workplace, allowing it to run more efficiently. If the 5S launch isn’t well thought out, it can lead to disaster.…
Tony Ferraro | September 4, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 3 min read
Connection Between 5S and Lean
In order to have a good understanding how 5S and lean concepts are connected, is important to first take a look at them separately. 5S is a way of measuring the implementation of lean manufacturing techniques. It is the foundation which is used to support lean manufacturing strategies from the beginning until full implementation. Lean manufacturing,…
Tony Ferraro | August 21, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
4 Tips to Improve Workforce Efficiency within Your Warehouse
Improving workforce efficiency is an important task of any warehouse manager. According to a recent survey most managers recognize the fact that their facility is not running at optimal efficiency, but they feel there is little they can do about it. While most warehouse managers may know that their facility is not running as it…
Tony Ferraro | July 26, 2013 | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Kaizen, Safety | Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
5S Benefits for Students
Over the past several years the lean concepts which started out only in manufacturing have been used to improve just about every other industry. These strategies, however, can also be used to benefit students of just about every age. Look at these powerful benefits students can gain from learning about the 5S strategies which have become so…
Tony Ferraro | July 10, 2013 | 5S | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace | 2 min read
5S and 6S
The traditional 5 “S’s” of 5s are Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. Facilities around the world have been following the 5S standards for years with incredible successes. Some companies today, however, want to add in another S to try to further improve on this already very popular set of standards. The sixth S is…
Tony Ferraro | April 15, 2013 | 5S, 6S, Safety | 5S, 6S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing, Safety, Workplace Safety | 2 min read
Do you need a safety manager?
In a perfect world every company, regardless of its size, would have a full time safety manager who is dedicated to locating any hazards in the work environment and reducing or eliminating them quickly. The reality is, however, that many companies can’t afford to have a full time employee dedicated to this area and others don’t want…
Tony Ferraro | April 4, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Safety | Facility Efficiency, OSHA, Workplace Safety | 2 min read
5S and Lean
When investigating ways to help your business run more efficiently and safely almost everyone has come across the terms 5s and lean, and in many cases they are even thought of as somewhat interchangeable. The fact is, however, that they have different meanings even if they are used in combination with each other when evaluating the…
Tony Ferraro | April 1, 2013 | 5S, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
5S – It Sounds so Easy
Whether you’ve attended a Lean manufacturing class, read a book or just found information about the 5s process online you likely got excited about the ability to improve your business or facility. The 5s system seems so very easy when you first hear about it, and it really makes a lot of sense. The difficulty,…
Tony Ferraro | March 29, 2013 | 5S | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
5S Your Auto Shop
If you own an auto repair shop you might be looking for ways to improve your safety and efficiency you may have run across the Lean 5S standard which is used in so many businesses today. At first glance many people think that this particular standard would not apply to an auto shop because of the fact…
Tony Ferraro | March 23, 2013 | 5S | 5S, Facility Efficiency, Floor Marking, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace | 3 min read
5S Supplies
One of the nice things about the 5s certification is that unlike many other standards, this one has a lot of tools and supplies available to help make implementing the best practices much easier and more effective. These 5s supplies are available to order right online and they are all very affordable. Each facility will…
Tony Ferraro | March 19, 2013 | 5S | 5S, Continuous Improvement, Facility Efficiency, Lean Manufacturing | 2 min read
5S Red Tags
When starting the task of making your facility a 5s certified location there are many different things that you must do. At first it might all seem a little overwhelming, but the fact of the matter is there are products which can make everything simpler and more efficient. One area where many people have trouble…
Tony Ferraro | March 13, 2013 | 5S | 5S, Facility Marking, Lean Manufacturing, Organized Workplace | 2 min read
