5S for the Office: Organizing the Workplace to Eliminate Waste [1 ed.] 1138441252, 9781138441255

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CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742

First issued in hardback 2018 © 2006 by Taylor and Francis CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works

ISBN 13: 978-1-138-44125-5 (hbk) ISBN 13: 978-1-56327-318-6 (pbk) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reprinted material is quoted with permission, and sources are indicated. A wide variety of references are listed. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and the publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use. Except as permitted by U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC) 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fabrizio, Tom. 5S for the office : organizing the workplace to eliminate waste / Tom Fabrizio and Don Tapping. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-1-56327-318-6 (alk. paper) 1. Office management. 2. Employee rules. 3. Organizational behavior. 4. Organization. 5. Orderliness. 6. Standardization. I. Tapping, Don. II. Title. III. Title: Five S for the office. HF5547.F215 2006 651.3-dc22 2006016166

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Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . About the 5S System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why the 5S System is necessary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The 5S target: office waste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to use this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A note about the CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 2 4 5 8 9

Chapter One: Prepare the Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Step 1: Get management involvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Step 2: Identify target area(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Step 3: Form an implementation team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Chapter Two: Perform an Office Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 4: Select project measures and collect baseline data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 5: Photograph current conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 6: Apply the office scan checklist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 7: Post a project storyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

41 43 52 57 63

Chapter Three: Sort Through and Sort Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 8: Develop criteria for Sorting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 9: Prepare a holding area for sorted items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 10: Start Sorting! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

69 71 77 82

Chapter Four: Set Things in Order and Set Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 11: Map the current state of the target area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 12: Develop a Set-in-Order plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 13: Apply the Set-in-Order process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

89 91 99 110

Chapter Five: Shine and Inspect Through Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Step 14: Determine the criteria for Shine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Step 15: Develop and implement a plan for Shine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126

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Chapter Six: Standardize Conditions and Share Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Step 16: Determine and implement standards for the ideal state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Step 17: Implement visual controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Chapter Seven: Sustain the Gains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 18: Roll out training for everyone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 19: Make 5S a habit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Step 20: Continue to improve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

155 157 164 171

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181 About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Introduction

Anyone who has ever worked in an office has surely witnessed or been involved in one of the following (or similar) situations: The V.P. of Manufacturing can’t find an available meeting room as he’s towing a prospective customer around the office. A customer service representative searches 20 minutes before she finds the customer file she needs (while the customer waits on the phone). Five tri-color inkjet print cartridges are delivered and stacked in the cabinet, on top of the four color cartridges already there, but there are no black inkjet cartridges left. You can’t find a #2 pencil anywhere, so you ask Charlie for one because you know he hoards everything. What do all these events have in common? If your answer was that they happened at your office last week, you wouldn’t be alone. These are common occurrences that waste time and money, and no company can afford this kind of waste. The real tragedy is that these events illustrate how often and how much people ignore offices when they think about improvement. While much attention and energy has been focused on machine effectiveness, shopfloor efficiency, and just-in-time production, little attention has been focused on the role of the office in improvement, a gap the authors of this book hope to bridge. This intention is based on the firm belief that the office plays an integral role in any improvement system. Think about it. When a customer places an order, which department does he contact? He contacts the customer service office. When a customer visits a manufacturing plant, where does he enter the building? He enters the receptionist’s office. If quality is to be measured and controlled, whom do operators rely on for updated data, inspection sheets, and gauges that work correctly? They rely on the quality office. If production is to be organized and coordinated throughout the plant, where does that coordination occur? It occurs in the production office. Clearly, offices are vital in the efficient and profitable operation of a business. Conversely, they can be the reason why a business fails. Many companies that implement lean manufacturing on the shop floor without understanding the importance of what happens in its offices fail to achieve good results. Usually, they decide that lean is not the answer. This decision, however, is reached because the companies are not looking at the big picture. Our conclusion is different. Lean manufacturing encompasses the entire company, including all office activity. Every nook and cranny of your establishment must operate within the principles of lean. The question is, how do you do that in an office? The answer is to use 5S for the Office as your bridge. This system, which has been implemented in more than 100 offices

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throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, South America, and Asia, will help you eliminate waste, become much more efficient, and save lots of time and money. When we began writing this book, some of our early readers suggested we “dumb it down.” They said that offices were not as important as the shop floor and that people did not want as much information about office improvement. Because of our experiences with lean offices (and not-so-lean offices), the authors refuse to accept this point of view. Offices are just as important to a company as the shop floor and deserve a full-fledged book on organization and standardization. 5S for the Office is a complete system. It provides a step-by-step method with forms, checklists, and insights from more than 20 years of implementation at Fortune 500 companies such as Ford and Coca-Cola to mid-size companies like Melling Engine Parts to small job shops of fewer than 20 people. The authors have used the 5S System in the aerospace industry, machine shops, the plastic industry, the food processing industry, and even in hospitals. Regardless of the nature of the industry or size of the company, one thing remains constant. The 5S System is a tool that can work for everyone. And it is a tool that can bring immediate results. In addition, the system (and the materials that support it) can be customized to create or refine a system that works for you and your company.

About the 5S System The activities at the heart of 5S for the Office (organizing, ordering, cleaning, standardizing, and sustaining all of these) are completely logical. They are the basic rules for managing any effective workplace. However, it is the systematic method with which the 5S System approaches these activities that makes it unique. A Brief History of the 5S System A systematic approach to organizing, ordering, and cleaning had its origins in post-World War II Japan—probably in the mid 1950s. At the time, Japanese manufacturing companies were forced to produce with very few resources, so they developed a shopfloor method to make every scrap count while wasting nothing. Originally, there were only four activities in the Japanese system. These activities, each beginning with the letter S, were 1. Seiri (cleaning up), 2. Seiton (organizing), 3. Seiso (cleaning), and 4. Seiketsu (systematic cleanliness). Later, a fifth activity was added. Called Shitsuke (discipline), it completed the S elements that are now known as 5S. As the 5S System, just-in-time, and lean spread throughout the United States, it became clear that changes had to be made if 5S was going to be successful in cultures outside of Japan. Even the meaning of some of the activities had to change. These changes evolved during application in hundreds of companies and thousands of workplaces. For example,

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we found that in a union environment, “holding a worker’s feet to the fire” was counterproductive. We discovered that management and worker buy-in to the 5S System were Steps 1 and 2. We also found that in America, workers had to be allowed to mix the personal with the professional. During the process, we even discovered a type of separation anxiety that emerged when we asked people to rid themselves of unneeded items. To counteract this, we created the 5S Auction, allowing employees to buy items for one dollar or less. Today, the 5S System retains its fundamental power to change the workplace and involve everyone in improvement. It also retains the five activities beginning with the letter “S,” as shown in Figure I-1. Sort Sustain

Standardize

Set in Order

Shine

Figure I-1. The Basic 5S System

The 5S System for the Office The 5S system for the Office includes the following activities. 1. Sort involves sorting through the contents of an area and removing unnecessary items. The real meaning of Sort is found in the saying, “When in doubt, move it out.” 2. Set in Order involves arranging necessary items for easy and efficient access, and keeping them that way. The essence of Set in Order is found in the saying, “A place for everything, with everything in its place.” 3. Shine involves cleaning everything, keeping everything clean, and using cleaning as a way to ensure that the area and equipment are maintained, as they should be. The essence of Shine is found in the saying, “Make it clean and keep it clean.” 4. Standardize involves creating guidelines for keeping the area organized, orderly, and clean, and making the standards visual and obvious. The essence of Standardize is found in the saying, “If you can’t see, you don’t know, and if you don’t know, you can’t control.” 5. Sustain involves education and communication to ensure that everyone follows the 5S standards. The essence of Sustain is found in the saying, “Maintain the gain and forget the blame.” From its modest beginnings as a housekeeping tool, the 5S system has evolved into a method for establishing and maintaining a high performance office. One example easily illustrates this.

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Consider the plight of Lee Blake Precision, Inc., in Jackson, Michigan. It once took the company more than two days to process a customer order! This was especially frustrating for the customer service reps. Finding orders was like an Easter egg hunt because they came in at all times and in all forms (mail, fax, phone, e-mail, orally through the sales department, even on a Post-it®). Then, after entering orders into the computer, the reps had to walk the paperwork to the production, material handling, and quality offices. If changes or mistakes occurred (which they usually did), the work—and time— was doubled. Now, Lee Blake processes each order in less than 10 minutes. Explained another way, lead time for order processing has been reduced by 99 percent. Walking has been reduced by more than 95 percent. Use of paper has been reduced by nearly 80 percent. And employees and customers are much happier.

Why the 5S System Is Necessary Offices are like living organisms. They change and grow. They respond to their environment. Client specifications are always changing, new technologies continue to develop, and employees come and go. Business becomes more competitive each year, and costs continue to rise. Challenged by these conditions, companies must find ways to survive. As living organisms, if they do not make changes in response to their environment, they will fail. Moreover, changes must be made at every level of an organization. The faster an organization can make them, the more money it can save, and the quicker it can respond to its customers. If you do not treat your office like a living organism, it will eventually become something like a barn that is never cleaned. Waste will accumulate, and it will take longer and longer to perform your work. It will also make work more onerous and time consuming for those who work with you or for you. How often have you heard an employee say, “This is a waste of time, but I guess I have to do it”? This statement tells you everything you need to know about why the 5S System is necessary: • The person closest to the activity knows that time (and money) are being wasted; • The person doesn’t feel that he or she can improve the situation; • The waste has become part of the “normal” everyday environment; • The waste is no longer seen as a problem; and • The waste continues, and probably gets worse. In one company, for example, a receiving clerk noticed that the corrugated box vendor delivered the same number of boxes every week, regardless of the number used. The purchasing agent said he had a reason for maintaining the order amount—discounts. “But what about the waste of space?” asked the clerk. “And why pay for what we don’t need? Plus, the extras are getting damaged because we keep moving them around. We’re losing

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10 percent of our stock..” The clerk was close to the action and understood the problem. But no one would listen. So she stopped talking. When 5S was implemented, it gave her a voice and a method to improve a problem that she lived with every day. In fact, the true purpose of 5S for the Office is to eliminate waste. If you do that, you will have an efficient and profitable office that is also more enjoyable to work in.

The 5S Target: The 7 Deadly Wastes Found in Most Offices Reducing waste in the office translates into working to eliminate everything that increases the cost or time of doing work. This process can be applied to countless problems. By eliminating waste step by step in many small ways, you will be able to cut costs and time dramatically. Five S for the Office defines seven types of waste that are so costly that they have been called “The 7 Deadly Wastes.” These 7 Deadly Wastes are 1. Correction and rework 2. Waiting 3. Unnecessary motion 4. Overprocessing 5. Equipment downtime 6. Inventory and storage 7. Inspection Most companies find that only about 5 percent of work is value added; the rest is nonvalue added, or wasted activity. In a world-class organization, administrative activities operate at a level of about 50 percent value-added capacity. Achieving this level means paying attention to waste and reducing it wherever and whenever possible. For example, it takes a manufacturer of wood-processing machines three days to send a “preliminary” drawing to a customer as part of the bidding process. That’s 72 hours! The engineer needs about six hours to complete the drawing. However, he spends only four hours actually working on the drawing—the other two hours are spent on the phone with other customers, answering emails, in meetings, at lunch, etc. The value-added time for the drawing is therefore four hours. Because it takes 72 hours for the customer to receive the drawing (it is sent FedEx®—next day delivery), the percent value-added time is 4 divided by 72, or 5.5 percent. 1. The waste of correction and rework This category of waste refers to all time spent redoing, correcting, or reworking a job. The work should have been performed correctly the first time. Waste results in the expenditure of additional time, materials, energy, equipment and labor. For example, an incorrect entry on a job router concerning the type of gauge needed on that job can result in production delays, late deliveries, or even overtime expenses because the right gauge must be located after the job is already started.

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2. The waste of waiting Waiting for anything (people, paper, machines, or information) is waste. Waiting means that there is idle time causing work to stop. It means that people and operations are idle. It is important to eliminate the root causes of this waste as soon as you can. Usually it is like a “low hanging fruit”—somewhat easy to eliminate and ripe for the taking. In addition, it will lead you to other problems that you didn’t know you had. For example, the marketing department in an automotive parts company encountered delays in creating its fall brochure. It had to wait and wait for a picture of a new part. The picture was delayed because engineering couldn’t decide on the exact prototype and did not want to release a less than perfect picture. The reality here was that their choice would not matter—the final picture would look the same regardless of the prototype selected. The root cause of the waste is easy to spot: lack of communication. 3. The waste of unnecessary motion Any movement that does not add value is waste of motion. Ineffective job processes and office design are often responsible for creating more walking, reaching, or bending than necessary. At one company, for example, an order fulfillment manager moved 56 times in a single day while filing, delivering documents, and communicating with coworkers. Forty-eight of those events were “wasted motion” that consumed nearly two hours. The distance traveled during those 48 wasted events was about 17,000 feet, or 3.2 miles. This type of waste can be created by poor equipment layout or poorly placed supplies. To eliminate this waste, begin by asking whether an activity serves a legitimate purpose. If it does, try to reduce the motion involved by redesigning the office layout to minimize the need for walking. The second S of the 5S System, Set Things in Order and Set Limits (covered in Chapter 3), provides a strategy to helps you do this. 4. The waste of overprocessing Putting work or effort into something a customer doesn’t want or ask for is waste. Overprocessing does not add value for the customer, and the customer will not pay for it. The way to eliminate this waste is to ask, “What is the basic function of this procedure?” and “Am I doing too much work?” Sometimes you will find that you are doing too much work. Some typical examples can illustrate this: • Providing a three-ring binder and special front cover for a report that is ultimately going to be removed from the binder and filed in a cabinet • Printing out a 100-page report when only the first page (summary) is used • Requiring two signatures on an approval document when one will suffice • Handling an incoming order form more than once One parts manufacturer in the aerospace industry printed weekly detailed statistical reports for each of its 24 departmental managers. The reports contained a summary page and graphs and charts for 16 business improvement measures. The managers receiving

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these reports needed only the summary page. Furthermore, they had computer access to the data in the reports anyway. The problem was discovered and solved as a measure to reduce the waste of paper, but the solution also reduced the waste of overprocessing. The main cause for this type of waste is habit. We get so used to doing things a certain way that we can no longer see any other way to do them. 5. The waste of equipment downtime Any time spent waiting because of equipment downtime, ineffectiveness, or slowness is waste. This includes complete breakdowns as well as slowdowns due to poor maintenance or planning. At one company, five customer service representatives had to share the same printer for their computers. After waiting to use the printer, they had to walk to get their printouts. Furthermore, the strain put on the printer by multiple users resulted in frequent breakdowns and a great deal of maintenance. The solution was simple: less expensive printers at each desk for each representative. The time and money saved far outweighed the initial investment. 6. The waste of inventory and storage Excess stock of anything is waste. Even if the stock represents a safety net, it is waste because you are paying for items you are not using. Excess supplies, tools, small equipment, books, and other items can be defined as excess inventory, and any excess inventory takes up space. Consider, for example, how much you pay for each square foot of office space and how much of that space is occupied by shelves or cabinets for storing excess inventory. Then consider the number of people needed to manage it, its potential impact on safety, and the fact that it can become obsolete if work requirements change. One major category of this type of waste is files. At most companies, files are stored everywhere. Sometimes companies need to rent space to store files they don’t really need. Because 95 percent of files that are stored are waste, 95 percent of the space, folders, cabinets, and time spent for management and storage is waste. And that is wasted money. 7. The waste of inspection To reduce the waste of inspection (and checking), everyone has to play by a new set of rules—in essence, a new paradigm. This begins with an understanding that defects are caused by the way work is performed. If work is performed correctly, inspections are not needed. Generally, the inspection process exists only because of a fear of mistakes made during the work process. Inspections reveal defects only after they have already occurred. Stated another way, inspections discover waste. The inspection process itself does not add value; in fact, it becomes another form of waste. Moreover, this new form of waste is often multilayered. Think, for example, of the time and effort expended by the people performing the inspections and the number of inspection reports that they generate. These reports must be read, responded to or acted upon, and then filed or stored, creating more waste. In addition, inspections (and the reports that follow) sometimes cloud the distinction between errors and defects. It is important to remember that errors and defects are not

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the same. Errors are the cause and defects are the results. Moreover, while all defects are created by errors, not all errors result in defects. Sometimes, errors leading to defects are external errors rather than in-house errors, again compounding the waste. Other errors are defects waiting to happen. A parts manufacturer for the aerospace industry recently shipped 40 wrong parts to a customer. The defect was the shipping of the wrong parts. But where was the error? An investigation revealed that the error was made by the customer’s purchasing agent, who had asked for the wrong part number when ordering. The investigation further revealed that the purchasing agent routinely makes this error and that the blunder is just as routinely caught and corrected by the customer service rep, Kathy. Unfortunately, Kathy was sick the day this particular order was placed, and her replacement didn’t catch the mistake. This is a classic case of errors not always resulting in defects but having the potential to do so. It clearly illustrates why errors must be prevented, not just detected.

How to Use This Book One of the myths in business has been that if you put your “stars” in charge and allow them to come up with good ideas, your problems will be solved. Nothing could be further from the truth. Problems will disappear only when teamwork is in place, real causes are discovered, and good ideas are systematically turned into standards that are followed every day. The following example illustrates how these three components function as an integrated whole. Years ago, a plastic molding client in Massachusetts was having a personnel problem. Office personnel, mostly women, were repeatedly coming to work late. The general manager assigned his best manager, a Harvard graduate, to the project of solving the problem. The Harvard grad, a “star,” came up with a brilliant plan to measure and track attendance and also created an incentive plan for improvement. Not willing to settle for a single (and fairly pricey) solution, however, the general manager also asked the office personnel to get together and create a “list of improvements” for the office environment. The office group came up with two solutions that completely solved the problem. The first solution was a good coffee maker that made better coffee (employees were coming in late because they were stopping on their way to work to buy good coffee). The second solution was to renovate the ladies restroom, which was described as “pitiful, disgusting, and unusable.” The office employees agreed that if these improvements were made, they would make every effort to get to work on time. As the example shows, traditional business “wisdom” is not always the wisest approach to office improvement. This book is intended to go beyond the myths and traditional wisdom and suggest a different approach. The first key to improvement, especially in office organization and standardization, is to have a systematic method for improvement. There are seven phases of Office 5S, and they must be followed in sequence. The process can be compared to building a house. When you build a house, you need a strong foundation. If your foundation isn’t solid, the rest of the house won’t be either. Each building stage supports the next.

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In a similar vein, Office 5S must be implemented systematically. If you don’t prepare the project well by getting management involvement and forming a strong implementation team, the rest of the project won’t unfold well. And if you try to improve without understanding what needs to be improved, you will gain very little. The seven phases of 5S for the Office are listed below: 1. Prepare the Project 2. Perform an Office Scan 3. Sort Through and Sort Out 4. Set Things in Order and Set Limits 5. Shine and Inspect Through Cleaning 6. Standardize and Share Information 7. Sustain the Gains This book devotes a chapter to each of these seven phases. Each phase has a series of specific, required steps that are discussed from the perspective of practical implementation. Figure I-2 provides you with an Office 5S Roadmap of the seven phases and steps. This book was written so that it can be followed systematically and follows the Office 5S Roadmap. Each chapter begins with a brief overview of the steps included in each phase. There is an “executive summary” for each step, which briefly outlines its purpose, what needs to be done, who needs to do it, when and how things should be done, and some helpful starter tips. Many examples culled from the authors’ actual experiences supplement the detailed description of each step. Our implementation of 5S for the Office spans a 25-year period that includes hundreds of companies and thousands of offices in many types of industries, including manufacturing, pharmaceutical, processing, and service as well as hospitals, museums, and even the IRS. At the end of each step, you will find a section called Observations From the 5S Office that draws on actual reports from companies that have implemented the Office 5S System. It is important to end this introduction with a word of advice. While there is much to be learned from this book, it should serve as a guide rather than a hard and fast set of onesize-fits-all rules. Learn from this book but create your own 5S for the Office System. Make it work for your organization. Create your own forms and checklists and apply the concepts discussed on these pages with your own organization’s unique characteristics in mind. Always remember that some of the greatest benefits will come in the process of implementation and learning. Let’s get started!

A Note About the CD The accompanying CD contains blank versions of the many worksheets that appear throughout the book. The worksheets on the CD, however, are interactive—the user can electronically enter and save information right on the particular form. The ability to easily customize the worksheets will only hasten the success of your 5S iniative.

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5S for the Office Roadmap Phase 1: Prepare the Project Step 1. Get management involvement. Step 2. Identify target area(s). Step 3. Form an implementation team.

Step 4. Step 5. Step 6. Step 7.

Phase 2: Perform an Office Scan Select project measures and collect baseline data. Photograph current conditions. Apply the office scan checklist. Post a project storyboard.

Phase 3: Sort Through and Sort Out Step 8. Determine criteria for Sort. Step 9. Prepare a holding area. Step 10. Apply Sort. Phase 4: Set Things In Order and Set Limits Step 11. Map the current state. Step 12. Create a Set-in-Order plan. Step 13. Apply Set-in-Order. Phase 5: Shine and Inspect Through Cleaning Step 14. Determine the criteria for Shine. Step 15. Develop and implement a plan for Shine. Phase 6: Standardize Conditions & Share Information Step 16. Determine and implement standards. Step 17. Implement visual controls. Phase 7: Sustain the Gains Step 18. Train everyone. Step 19. Make 5S a habit. Step 20. Continue to improve.

Figure I-2. 5S for the Office Roadmap

Chapter 1: Prepare the Project OVERVIEW Chapter 1 helps you get started with the 5S Office System through three easy steps: Step 1: Get Management Involvement Step 2: Identify Target Area(s) Step 3: Form an Implementation Team

Step 1: Get Management Involvement— Executive Summary Purpose: To ensure that management will commit time and resources to the project and continue to revitalize the project Who Does It: The project champion and/or senior management Time Frame: One week or less, preferably one day Procedure: 1. Choose a project champion. 2. Complete 5S for Office project proposal. 3. Get management approval of proposal. 4. Complete management commitment checklist. 5. Make adjustments where needed. Worksheets and Forms: 5S for Office project proposal (see Figure 1-3); management commitment checklist (see Figure 1-4) Starter Tips: 1. Ensure that proposals show how the project is linked to the strategic direction of the company (these strategies are probably in writing). 2. Make sure all proposals demonstrate how the project will improve quality of performance in the office and how it will save money. 3. Direct the project champion to make concrete requests. 4. Direct the project champion to “give and take” (play “catchball”). 5. The best way to sell a proposal is to take managers to the physical workspace and show them the real problems.

Purpose of Management Involvement Management’s role is to put the 5S System into action in the office and to keep it vital. In Step 1 management will: • Assign a project champion • Clarify the vision and goals for the project • Begin to plan and manage the project

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Many people think that it’s enough for managers to be “committed.” But the idea of commitment is often too vague to be useful. Too often “committed” managers launch a project and then fail to pay any attention to it for weeks or months. Somewhere along the line, the project dies of neglect. One operations manager at a plant that manufactured and distributed trampolines, swing-sets, and backyard toys for children presented an excellent introduction at the 5S launch meeting. He clearly outlined the goals and objectives of the project and even provided a training budget. What he didn’t do was to check on the progress of various project components and whether team leaders were holding meetings, implementing ideas, and using the training to their best advantage. Most team members got discouraged because day-to-day work always superseded improvement. Very little was accomplished. Contrast this example of good intentions without involvement with the method consistently used by the plant manager of Gleason Cutting Tools in Rockford, Illinois. This manager assigns a project champion and works closely with project teams to create goals, objectives, metrics, and timelines. He then launches and attends training sessions, performs “walk-arounds” on a regular basis to view improvement, and holds monthly follow-up meetings. Everyone at the Gleason plant takes 5S seriously and much is accomplished.

Who Does It For a project to be successful, it must have a project champion. Keep in mind, however, that assigning a project champion does not mean that senior management loses sight of the project. In Office 5S, senior managers and the project champion perform Step 1 together. What Senior Management Should Do To reduce and eliminate waste in the office effectively, everyone must support the program. Ensuring everyone’s support begins with top management. Workers will look to see whether top management is behind the project. If top management seems disinterested, workers won’t waste their time and energy. Senior managers should have the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of the organization. Top management has to develop ways to open doors, allowing everyone in the organization to contribute to their full capacity. This is accomplished through six main activities: 1. Choose a project champion. 2. Articulate the need for the specific project. 3. Help identify team members. 3. Kick off the project. 5. Review all proposals and provide necessary resources for completing the project. 6. Audit improvements.

Step 1: Get Management Involvement—Executive Summary

15

What the Project Champions Should Do The entire management body of an organization cannot watch over every project all of the time. However, somebody must be in charge, and that person is the project champion. The project champion is defined as the person who has the authority and responsibility to allocate resources of the organization to a given project. The champion will launch the team and follow the team’s progress. This individual will remove roadblocks as they arise and will stay in touch with team progress. A good example of how this works is the story of Project Champion Craig, who was overseeing a process improvement project that involved “timely communication between purchasing, receiving, and quality inspection of vendor parts.” Even though he didn’t attend every improvement team meeting, Craig reviewed results with team members and spent time in the quality receiving department. Because of his proactive approach, he was able to expedite solutions to two major problems: moving a phone line to the area where the inspectors worked (they had stopped answering the phone because of the walking distance) and upgrading a dated computer system. As a senior manager and champion of the project, Craig was the only one on the team with the authority and budget to implement these improvements. Without his direct involvement, the suggestions for changes would have been mired in bureaucracy for months. On occasion, project champions are appointed by senior management. More often than not, however, someone within the organization becomes project champion almost by default by initiating a project and getting senior management involved. For example, at a Northrop Grumman plant, it was a project engineer who noticed the possible benefits of changing purchasing practices for tooling. He convinced management to allow him to assemble a team, hire a consultant, and create a kanban system for tooling. It really doesn’t matter how a project champion is appointed or selected. What does matter is adherence to two important principles: 1. that the individual be a designated project champion, recognized by management as the leader of the project; and 2. that “catchball” (described below) be used so that there is continuous communication between senior management and the project champion. Using “Catchball” to Involve Everyone in a Target Area Many organizations agree that total employee involvement is important, but it is also important to note that total employee involvement is not confined to daily work. It begins in the planning stage with a concept called “catchball.” Catchball is simple. Regardless of who initiates a project, that person articulates the purpose, objectives, and ideas and then “throws” them to other stakeholders. In Office 5S, managers often begin catchball by identifying a project vision, an area for improvement, measures, and proposed targets. Then, instead of dictating these things to the implementation team, they “throw” them to a core implementation team (see Figure 1-1). This team generates additional needed data, refines the data it was given, and throws the new and improved data back to managers in the form of a team charter that defines

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

the project in more detail. This process continues until management approves the charter. On occasion, the catchball process is reversed and begins with the team charter as the first “throw.”

Management

Project Team

Shop Floor

Figure 1-1. Catchball

In Office 5S, catchball accomplishes three things: 1. It gains “buy-in” to ideas generated by the core implementation team. 2. It ensures that everyone who should give input does give input. 3. It provides the information and structure for workers to implement improvement. (This is perhaps the most powerful effect that catchball has on an organization.)

Step-by-step Procedure There are five primary tasks in Step 1. If you complete them, you have an excellent chance of getting effective management involvement. The five tasks are listed below and described in detail in the sections that follow. 1. Choose a project champion. 2. Complete the 5S for Office project proposal. 3. Get management approval of the proposal. 4. Complete the management commitment checklist. 5. Make adjustments where needed. Task 1: Choose a Project Champion The project champion probably is not the plant manager or general manager. Designating a champion is a process that depends on the size of the organization and its structure. Usually, it is someone with a direct connection with the office process and a financial reason for seeing it improve. Figure 1-2 shows some examples of project champions and their connections to specific target areas. Project Location

Project Champion

1. Quality Department

Quality Manager

2. Customer Service Department

Customer Service Manager

3. Front Office

Office Manager

4. Shipping Office

Distribution Manager

Figure 1-2. Examples of Project Champions by Location

Step 1: Get Management Involvement—Executive Summary

17

All project champions should have the following qualities: 1. Ownership of the 5S for the Office system 2. Responsibility for improvement proposals 3. Ability to make change happen 4. Authority to commit resources 5. Commitment to reporting to top management 6. Complete buy-in to continuous improvement. Task 2: Complete the 5S for the Office Project Proposal The purpose of the Office 5S project proposal is for a project champion to get buy-in for a project from senior management. The proposal form (see Figure 1-3) should be completed by the project champion and used as a tool in catchball. 1. Fill out the form as well as possible. 2. Review and modify with the supervisor or with a management group. 3. Bring the form to the core implementation team as the basis for Team Charter. Task 3: Get Management Approval for the Proposal This is the catchball phase of Step 1 with the project proposal serving as the ball thrown between the project champion and senior management until agreement is reached. The example below illustrates this concept in practice. A publishing company assigned its production manager to implement a 5S project “in the production areas.” The production manager wanted to include the conference room, primary copy machine, and library as part of the project. Through catchball, the production manager and senior management reached a compromise agreement: The library and copy area were approved for the new arrangement, but the conference room was not. Task 4: Complete the Management Commitment Checklist A management commitment checklist will help you gain management commitment by defining management responsibilities for Office 5S and gauging the degree of commitment management has for a specific project. This checklist is most effective when it is completed together by managers and project champions and is followed by discussions about each of ten pertinent issues that are part of management involvement. You may want to use it to assess your own commitment to improvement. The management checklist covers: 1. Allocation of training resources (allocating time and money for required training) 2. Accountability (clarifying who is responsible for what and following up to ensure people are accountable) 3. Incentives (providing rewards and recognition for participation and results) 4. Articulation of a vision (communicating clearly the purpose and end result) 5. Goal setting (establishing meaningful operational goals and measures)

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

6. Establishment of an improvement process (setting up a step-by-step, systematic approach for improvement) 7. Assignment of a reasonable budget to the project (allocating money for materials, supplies, training, and travel) 8. Visible support by managers (ensuring optimistic, useful feedback and ideas) 9. Authorization for the champion to enact changes (mandating that change must be rapid as well as responsive to what the team discovers) 10. Passion about continuous improvement (ensuring that improvement is not passive but actively participatory) Task 5: Make Adjustments Where Needed After completing the management commitment checklist, you may discover that you have to make some changes to ensure project success. For example, you may discover that too little time has been allocated for training or that your goals are unclear. Now is the time to correct these weaknesses. If you wait, valuable time, effort, and money will be wasted. An example of this occurred at a hospital in Bend, Oregon. The management commitment checklist prompted a discussion about training and consulting. The original idea was to use “internal” resources. The checklist revealed that this idea was flawed and the management group came to the conclusion that implementing the project well, with maximum benefit to the company, would require formal 5S training.

Step 1: Get Management Involvement—Executive Summary

Office 5S Project Proposal Purpose:

For the Office 5S project champion to get project buy-in from upper management.

Who Should Fill It Out: The project champion Directions:

The best way to use this form is as a tool in catchball: 1. Fill out the form as best you can. 2. Review and modify with your supervisor or with a management group. 3. Bring to the Core Implementation Team as the basis for a team charter.

1. Project Champion’s Name __________________________________________________________ 2. Mission: How would you describe the basic project mission?

3. Area: What physical office area(s) will it cover?

4. Processes: What processes will it affect?

5. Strategic Alignment: With which strategic factors (already in place) does this align?

6. Proposed time frame/duration: Proposed Start Date ______________________ Proposed End Date _______________________ 7. Budget: • Training/Implementation Time: • Special Equipment: • Other: ________________________________________________________________________ 8. People who may provide special expertise and who must be included in the project:

9. Special issues, obstacles, barriers to consider:

Figure 1-3. Office 5S Project Proposal Worksheet

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 1 Over the past 20 years we have made a number of observations about management commitment. A few of our most important observations are discussed here. Keep the profit motive in mind. To maintain management involvement you must demonstrate how 5S for the Office will help improve profitability. This may mean that some quick education about 5S for the Office and its role in lean manufacturing and waste elimination will be necessary. The Introduction to this book should help. By understanding how 5S for the Office can help eliminate waste, you will be able to demonstrate how the project is critical to the strategic direction of the company. When you are doing this, you will want to keep in mind how the project will improve quality of performance and how it will save money. Keep in mind that everybody is different. Every office has its own individual quirks, history, and problems. This is what makes catchball so important. It doesn’t matter how a project begins or who starts it. What does matter is that all the necessary tasks are completed and all the right people are involved. For one organization, a management proposal might pass between a project champion and senior management only once before the necessary decisions are made. For another, it may have to occur several times. It doesn’t matter how many times this occurs. Remember the purpose of Step 1. Always keep your eye on the purpose of Step 1: to ensure that management will commit time and resources to the project and continue to revitalize the project.

Step 2: Identify Target Area(s)— Executive Summary Purpose: Choose the physical areas in the office for applying 5S for the Office Who Does It: The project champion, in conjunction with the office manager, operations manager, or other appropriate managers such as the general manager, etc. Time Frame: One week or less, usually as part of getting management involvement Procedure: 1. Identify all discrete office areas in the entire facility. 2. State the intended primary function(s) for each area. 3. Determine the priority level for each area for implementation. 4. Specify why you selected the priority level for each area. 5. Choose a target area to launch Office 5S. Worksheets and Forms: Target Area Worksheet (see Figure 1-4) Starter Tips: 1. Keep in mind that there are many types of offices, so don’t get trapped in the traditional definition of an office. Don’t forget spaces like quality offices and production planning and scheduling offices, or even storage and meeting rooms. 2. If you have already focused on a specific area for another improvement project, use that area as a high priority target area for Office 5S. 3. Remember that all office space will eventually operate through Office 5S. However, you don’t have to apply all targets at once. Early targets should • Demonstrate a significant contribution to the “bottom line” • Show a clear need for improvement • Be used often by many people • Be the focus of customer complaints • Have a reasonable chance for success

Purpose of Identifying Target Area(s) The purpose of Step 2 is to target discrete office areas for 5S implementation. You cannot implement Office 5S in all office areas at the same time. To do so would stop your workflow and take people away from their jobs for too long. Even in the smallest factories there are too many office areas to target at the same time. By identifying discrete areas or departments

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

for 5S implementation, and by creating a plan of attack so that all office areas are eventually transformed, what seems to be a monster of a project will actually be simple. Remember that the Introduction of this book defined “office” to mean the places in a facility where certain kinds of functions that are not directly related to handling the product, machine, tools, or tooling are performed. That leaves a wide range of possibilities, and for this reason, identifying target areas takes some real thought. In addition, it is an integral part of Step 1, and should be performed as part of this step. The examples below show why identifying target areas accurately is important. A company that manufactured blood cleansing machines for the medical industry decided to target its purchasing office because there was such a high variety of parts to deal with and so many vendors to manage. On the other hand, in machine shops, the quality office takes on many roles (including inspection, purchasing of tooling, documentation, and even some customer service), so it is often a high-priority target.

Who Does It The project champion takes the lead in identifying target areas. In most cases, the champion’s role is to facilitate target area selection and to launch projects. But the champion will need a great deal of support from other managers. For example, a 5S champion may believe that the shipping and receiving office is a high priority. But unless the supervisor in charge of that office agrees, very little can be done. What Senior Managers Should Do Ensuring everyone’s support begins with senior management. If senior managers do not visibly support the project, neither will department managers. To motivate interest, cooperation, and participation, senior management should do the following: 1. Help identify target areas with the project champion 2. Articulate the need to department managers 3. Help prioritize target areas by balancing customer needs, financial gains, and internal “process” improvement needs What Department Managers Should Do There are two reasons why department managers must be included in the process at this stage: 1. They have the facts that will help you pinpoint and prioritize target areas. 2. If they don’t buy in now, the process will fail. Don’t forget that the workers in the target areas report to those managers and have daily responsibilities to maintain. Without allocation of time and other resources, 5S can’t succeed.

Step-by-step Procedure There are five primary tasks in Step 2. Each task is listed below and described in detail in the following sections.

Step 2: Identify Target Area(s)—Executive Summary

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

23

Identify all discrete office areas in the entire facility. State the intended function(s) for each area. Determine the priority level for each area for implementation. Specify why you selected the priority level for each area. Choose a target area to launch Office 5S.

Task 1: Identify All Discrete Office Areas We usually think of an office as a place where administrative work is performed. The related activities include accounting, customer service, sales, clerical, and other administrative functions. However, Office 5S encompasses a much larger part of the facility, including reception areas, records storage, kitchens, and bathrooms as well as productionrelated offices such as quality departments, production offices, maintenance offices, and engineering departments. It is here that Office 5S bridges the gap between lean administration and lean production. Figure 1-4 shows how a Target Area Worksheet was used to identify discrete office areas in a small foundry in Ohio. While this example is useful, it is important to remember that every facility is different. Strictly, accounting offices in one facility might include accounting, bookkeeping, and storage in another. A mailroom in one facility might double as a customer service department in another. Some areas, however, can almost always be considered as discrete target areas: • Front office, reception • Administrative and management offices • Customer service, sales, marketing, purchasing • Conference rooms, meeting rooms, training rooms, libraries • Records storage, “other” storage • Mailrooms, supply rooms • Kitchens, bathrooms, hallways • Quality office, production office, maintenance office, engineering office • Shipping and receiving offices The key is to identify all office areas throughout the facility. Then you can look at the intended function for each office area. Task 2: State the Intended Functions for Each Area The intended functions are what the area was designed for—the primary activities that are supposed to take place in that area. For example, the primary function of a conference room might be as a meeting place for board and management meetings. The conference room may have other functions, but it is important to know the current intended function. What the intended function was when the area was first designed is moot; you want to know its intent now. Another example might be a quality office whose original intended function was to house quality records and perform all administrative duties relating to quality control activities

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Target Area Worksheet Purpose:

To identify all discrete office areas in a facility and their functions, to prioritize and target them for implementation.

Directions:

1. Identify all discrete office areas in the facility and list them in column. 2. For each area, describe the primary intended functions for that area. 3. Rate priority level for the area: • A is high priority, representing areas that must be done immediately. • B is medium priority, representing areas that are important but don’t have to be done immediately. • C is low priority, representing areas that can wait until A and B areas are done. 4. State the reason for the priority level in column.

1. Discrete Area

2. Intended Primary Function

3. Priority Level

4. Reason for Priority Level

Front Office Management & Administrative Conference Room Meeting Room, Training Room Kitchen Bathrooms (3) Purchasing Quality Dept. Production Office Shipping/Receiving Record Storage Reception, Closets Hallways Mailroom, Supplies

Figure 1-4. Example: Target Area Worksheet for Identifying Discrete Office Areas

Step 2: Identify Target Area(s)—Executive Summary

25

for the plant. However, you may find it is now also used for storing old gauges and sample parts, or even for testing parts. This would make the quality department a good target for 5S implementation. Every discrete office area should have an intended function. If it doesn’t, you have already discovered an organizational problem. By defining one or two primary functions for each office area you are on the road to improvement. Figure 1-5 shows how to use the target area worksheet to define primary office functions for the foundry offices originally identified in Figure 1-4. As the figure shows, the front office was used as the administrative hub, communication center for the entire company, and for visitor greeting. Primary Function

Target Area Worksheet 1. Discrete Area

2. Intended Primary Function

Front Office

Administrative hub, communication center, visitor greeting

Management & Administrative

Individual offices for managers, executives and accounting

Conference Room

Place for board meetings and management meetings and training

Quality Dept.

Quality Dept. to perform all administrative duties relating to quality control and improvement

3. Priority Level

4. Reason for Priority Level

Figure 1-5. Example of Target Area Worksheet Used to Define Primary Functions of Areas

Task 3: Determine the Priority Level for Each Area for Implementation After you have identified all discrete office areas in your facility and defined their primary functions, you are ready to set priorities for implementation. Three categories or levels for prioritization are described below. Level A is high priority, representing areas that must be handled immediately. Level A characteristics are easy to spot: • Improvement will show a significant contribution to the “bottom line” • Clear need for improvement (the area is very messy, disorganized, or dirty) • The area is highly visible to customers • The area is subject to repeated customer complaints • Many people use the area on a daily basis. The quality offices at Lee Blake Precision Machining, a supplier of parts for the aerospace, automotive, and medical industries, were targeted as a Level A area because there was a lack of flow between the administrative activities and the testing of parts. In addition, files,

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

records, gauges, and manuals were disorganized, resulting in wasted time in job setup and reordering of new gauges. Customers would come to the quality offices and comment on the lack of organization. Employees became more and more frustrated. It was a perfect area to target for Office 5S. Priority Level

Target Area Worksheet 1. Discrete Area

2. Intended Primary Function

3. Priority Level

Front Office

Administrative hub, communication center, visitor greeting

A

Management & Administrative

Individual offices for managers, executives and accounting

B

Conference Room

Place for board meetings and management meetings and training

C

Quality Dept.

Quality Dept. to perform all administrative duties relating to quality control and improvement

A

4. Reason for Priority Level

Figure 1-6. Example of Target Area Worksheet Used to Identify Priority Levels of Areas

Level B is medium priority, representing areas that are important but do not require immediate attention. Characteristics of a Level B area are similar to those in a high priority area, except that you probably have not received customer complaints about the area, and the contribution to the “bottom line” is not as great as that of a Level A area. Although Level B areas should be scheduled for implementation soon, the actual implementation process does not have to begin immediately. Level C is low priority, representing areas that can wait until improvements in A and B areas are completed. Low priority areas that can wait for implementation of Office 5S include hallways, bathrooms, and meeting rooms. Figure 1-6 shows how to use the target area worksheet to identify priority levels for each area. Based on Office 5S experiences in more than 100 offices, the following guidelines can be very useful for performing this task. • For small facilities of 50,000 square feet or less, choose three areas for Level A, three areas for Level B, and leave the remainder for Level C. • For facilities of 50,000 to 100,000 square feet, choose four areas for Level A, four for Level B, and leave the remainder for Level C. • For facilities larger than 100,00 square feet, choose five areas for Level A, five for Level B, and leave the remainder for Level C.

Step 2: Identify Target Area(s)—Executive Summary

27

Task 4: Specify Why You Selected the Priority Level for Each Area The example in Figure 1-4 identified 13 discrete office areas. Of these, 3 were rated as Level A (quality office, front office, and shipping/receiving) because of the direct impact they had on customer service and attitude. Three areas were listed as Level B (management and administrative, purchasing, and mailroom/supplies) because they were the most disorganized and “out of control.” All others were rated C. Reason for Priority Level

Target Area Worksheet 1. Discrete Area

2. Intended Primary Function

3. Priority Level

4. Reason for Priority Level

Front Office

Administrative hub, communication center, visitor greeting

A

Everyone uses it. Highly visible to customers. Production board located here. Acts as communication hub.

Management & Administrative

Individual offices for managers, executives and accounting

B

Front, Quality, Maintenance, Shipping are more important. Put into second phase.

Conference Room

Place for board meetings and management meetings and training

C

It’s clean and organized. It can wait.

Quality Dept.

Quality Dept. to perform all administrative duties relating to quality control and improvement

A

Big mess creates setup delays and order delays of gauges. Customers deliver special testing tools there. Very disorganized. Big waste of space

Figure 1-7. Example of Target Area Worksheet Used to Identify Reason for Priority Levels

Task 5: Choose a Target Area to Launch Office 5S Eventually you will implement 5S in all areas. However, because each target area needs the buy-in of the people who work there, you have to treat each one separately. The best approach is to choose and deal with one target at a time. The first target area you choose will be the model for future areas, so make sure it has the best chance for success and that the people involved in the improvement process are highly motivated. Once you have chosen a target area, you are ready to implement Step 3: Form an Implementation Team. The discussion related to this step will utilize a purchasing office with the following characteristics: 1. The purchasing office was causing late deliveries by not providing materials and/or tooling when needed for specific jobs. 2. Organizing purchasing procedures might save money. 3. Phil, the purchasing manager, “was going nuts” because the office was so disorganized that “he couldn’t remember his middle name.”

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 2 Perform Step 2 with Step 1. The tasks in Step 2 are concrete and real. They are the best way to get all managers involved. Step 2 can be achieved in 90 minutes in a managers’ meeting using the target area worksheet. The project champion should facilitate the meeting. Remember that size matters. The size of your target area makes a difference in your ability to succeed. Don’t be too ambitious. Take on an area in which you can make a difference and succeed. Target specific characteristics of your office mess. Eventually the entire facility will operate through a lean office system, but you do not have to apply all targets at once. Early targets should • Show a significant contribution to the “bottom line”; • Demonstrate a clear need for improvement (very messy, disorganized, or dirty); • Be an area that a customer might see; • Be subject to repeated customer complaints (such as quality, shipping, or customer service departments); • Be an area used on a daily basis by many people; and • Have a reasonable chance for success. Don’t forget office storage. One of the biggest wastes of space and money is office storage. The old saying “out of sight, out of mind” can be extended to mean “out of sight, out of pocket.” Office 5S can eliminate this cost by targeting wasteful storage.

Step 3: Form an Implementation Team— Executive Summary Purpose: Form a cross-functional team for the planning and implementation of Office 5S Who Does It: The project champion begins the process and hands it off to the team leader Time Frame: One week or less Procedure: 1. The project champion selects a possible team leader and gets management approval. 2. The champion and team leader meet to create a proposed team charter and identify team membership. 3. The team leader gets team members’ agreement to participate and approval from their managers. 4. The champion and team leader plan the launch meeting and send out an agenda. 5. The launch meeting is held. a. At the meeting the champion introduces the project on behalf of the company; the team leader runs the meeting. b. The champion, team leader, and team members finalize a charter and commit to the project. c. The team previews the next step and assigns action items. 6. The team leader, or a designated member, completes and distributes a meeting information form after the meeting. Worksheets and Forms: Team Charter (see Figure 1-8); meeting information report (see Figure 1-10); team status report (see Figure 1-11) Starter Tips: 1. Use catchball to get buy-in of charter from extended team members. 2. Select a team leader who can make decisions and commit resources. 3. Management commitment is not enough; you also need attendance at meetings and involvement in the projects. 4. Make it clear from the beginning that the team’s role includes leadership and training as well as implementation.

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Purpose of Team Formation The purpose of Step 3 is to form a cross-functional team that will plan and implement Office 5S. This is the core implementation team, the people who will be responsible for the entire project. They are the planners and doers—the people who make it happen. This team is responsible for the project from Step 3 (this step) through Step 19 (described in Chapter 7), at which time they create a plan to make 5S a part of everyone’s job.

Who Does It The project champion begins the process by selecting a team leader and getting management approval. The champion and team leader then select a team and launch the first meeting. In small companies, the champion can double as the team leader. However, in many companies, the champion is a manager who may oversee many improvement teams; the team leader is someone closer to the action—probably someone who works in the target area. Once the team is in place, team accountability is transferred to the team leader. The champion continues to stay involved and maintains responsibility for the success of the team. By the end of the launch meeting a project team will also be in place. This is a group that evolves during the meeting itself. At the beginning of the meeting, a group of people convenes to talk about a project. By the end of the meeting, they should have common goals and objectives—a common purpose—and begin to see themselves as a team, not just a group of people.

Step-by-step Procedure There are six primary tasks in Step 3. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Select a team leader. 2. Create the team charter. 3. Verify team membership. 4. Plan the launch meeting. 5. Launch the project. 6. Distribute a meeting information form. Task 1: Select a Team Leader Once the team is in place, team accountability is transferred to the team leader. Volumes have been written about team leadership, so only a few key points are mentioned here. The team leader should have certain characteristics and abilities, including: • The ability to make change happen • Manager or supervisor authority

Step 3: Form an Implementation Team—Executive Summary

31

• Complete buy-in to the project • An urgency to change This individual must also respect other team members and, in turn, be respected by them. A little test can help you evaluate the potential of the person you are considering for team leader. A team leader has worked overtime for the last four nights on a project. Today a team member tells the team leader the presentation looks fine, but would be improved if he didn’t try to cram so much information on each overhead sheet. The leader says: a. “It will be OK. I have more experience than you in giving presentations.” b. “There’s no time left to fix it.” c. “No one will know the difference.” d. “Thank you. Can you help me fix it?” In the long run, the best team leader is the one who knows that “D” is the best response. The answer shows respect to a team member and also shows a willingness to ask for help, not just feedback. It also turns a negative comment into a positive action. Task 2: Create the Team Charter Ultimately, the product of Step 3 is a charter that has been agreed upon by all team members, including extended members. It is an agreement among team members that ensures everyone “is on the same page.” It is also an agreement between the team and management concerning the purpose, scope, and objectives of the project. When you create the charter, make sure you also do the following: • Ensure everyone agrees to the team’s mission, scope, and deliverables. • Update and post changes to the charter as they occur. • Ensure that the charter lists only the deliverables appropriate to the project. • Do not commit to something that is unrealistic. • Always review the team charter before committing resources to the project. An example of a team charter is presented in Figure 1-8. In this case the team used a short, one-page team charter and attached the project proposal form (shown in Figure 1-3) to show purpose, direction and details. Task 3: Verify Team Membership This is a good time to play catchball. The champion and team leader should make sure they have management approval for all team member participation. More importantly, they should make sure that team members are interested. This is also the best time to start building a favorable environment for change. A few helpful guidelines, which can be used even before the first meeting is held, are presented below: • Don’t assume anything about what team members think. Ask them. • Explain the purpose and background of the team and of 5S for the Office.

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

• Link the mission to company goals and objectives. • Be honest about the amount of freedom that team members will have in the project. • Give members an opportunity to leave the project if they choose. Task 4: Plan the Launch Meeting It cannot be emphasized enough that everyone should know what to expect before coming to this meeting. You must be explicit about what will happen, how the meeting will be run, who is going to play what role, and how long the meeting will last. An agenda distributed at least a day before the meeting will result in a shorter and more effective meeting because there will less confusion, fewer questions, and much more direct and

Team Charter

R&T Inc. Team Name:

Plant 3 5S Gauge Team

Purpose of Team:

Organize Gauge Storage Area, and revamp all gauge handling and storage processes.

Team Members Leader: J. Smoyer Champion: R. Kremer

Members: Bill White Randy Janial Bill Becker Mike Robbins

Start Date: July 11, 2005

Scheduled End: Dec. 31, 2005 Actual End Date: Ongoing

Dates (check one)

Expected Deliverables 1. Remove unneeded or inoperable gauges. 2. Create list of “needed” gauges. 3. Create storage and retrieval system for gauges. 4. Create tracking system for all gauges. 5. Standardize all processes; create documents. 6. Implement visual controls to ensure adherence. Comments Budget items must be approved by Quality Manager.

Notes: Use agenda and action form format for meetings. Have regularly scheduled meetings. Keep focused and concise. Expect everyone on team to participate. Sunset report expected when project complete.

Figure 1-8. Example of a Team Charter

Step 3: Form an Implementation Team—Executive Summary

33

targeted discussion. Don’t forget that the launch meeting may be the first time that some participants have worked together. Allow time for them to get to know each other. Launch Agenda 5S for the Office Date:

Time:

Location:

Time

Item

9:00 AM

Introduction, Overview by Project Champion

9:15 AM

5S Overview by Project Champion

9:30 AM

Presentation by Team Leader of Team Charter, Page 1

9:40 AM

Discuss and Finalize Page 1 of Team Charter

10:10 AM

Presentation of Page 2 of Team Charter by Team Leader

10:20 AM

Discuss and Finalize Page 2 of Team Charter

10:40 AM

Action Items

10:50 AM

Wrap-up

Figure 1-9. Sample Launch Agenda, Office 5S

Except for an introduction by the champion and possibly some 5S training, the charter and agenda for the launch meeting are identical. You will review what has been written, discuss clarifications, make necessary changes, and get final buy-in. Then you will plan a few action items. A generic Office 5S launch agenda is shown in Figure 1-9. Task 5: Launch the Project The launch meeting (or meetings) will set the expectations and the attitude of every member. Some helpful guidelines can help make the experience positive: • Prepare and distribute relevant information • Start on time • Be part of the team, (not above it) • Focus on the charter; facilitate “catchball” • Stay with the agenda and use a “parking lot” on the wall to capture issues and ideas that don’t pertain to the agenda • Address individual problems outside the meeting • Allow for feedback about the meeting • End on time

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Review and adoption of a team charter is usually enough to cover in the first meeting. However, the team should be prepared for what comes next, especially if some research is necessary. The next meeting should include at least the following steps: • Final agreement about target area selection • Additions to team membership • Measurement selection • Development of a process for collecting baseline data Task 6: Distribute a Meeting Information Form After the launch meeting, the team leader, or a designated team member, should complete and distribute a meeting information form covering the key points of the meeting to the distribution list on the charter. Most companies have email, so it would make sense to distribute by email. However, there should also be a hard copy posted in a designated area for everyone to read. Figure 1-10 shows an example of an Office 5S meeting information form.

Step 3: Form an Implementation Team—Executive Summary

Team Meeting Information Report Meeting: Date: Time: Location:

Contents – Distribution – Agenda – Minutes – Action Items

Distribution: Team Members

Roles

e-mail

FYI (Copies to)

Roles

e-mail

Agenda:

Additional Information:

Figure 1-10. Page 1 of Team Meeting Information Form

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Team Meeting Information Report, page 2 Minutes: Summary

Issues

Discussion Notes

Attachments:

Next Meeting Date: Action Items: #

Action Item

Assigned To

Opened

Due

Status

Figure 1-10, Continued. Page 2 of Team Meeting Information Form

Step 3: Form an Implementation Team—Executive Summary

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 3 Make the charter a process. The team charter is a powerful tool if you use it to guide the process of team formation. The important thing about the charter is that it provides issues for everyone to talk about at this stage—and to play catchball with. It forces you to answer certain questions thoroughly. If you see it this way, and keep it alive by updating and posting it, the team charter is the heart of teamwork. Prepare team status reports. Communication is important. Depending on the size of your company, a team status report might be useful to send to managers and other teams that may not have direct contact with the Office 5S project. Figure 1-11 is an example of a team status report.

Team Status Report Name of Team: Date:

Team Leader Name:

Accomplishments: What are the main accomplishments of the team to date?

Concerns (Issues): Areas where problems were encountered or where you are ahead or behind schedule.

Plans: How is the plan going to address the problems and concerns?

Figure 1-11. Example of Team Status Report

Make sure the boss doesn’t run the meeting. Some bosses may find this hard to live with, but it is difficult to run a fair, nonmanipulative meeting when you have a personal investment in the subject matter. As a boss, even when you try not to influence the outcome, you will find that your body language, face, and the people you

continued on next page

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Chapter 1: Prepare the Project

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 3 pay attention to speak volumes. You should be in the group, fighting for your ideas, not trying to facilitate the discussion. The key to solving the problems of authority is to separate the facilitator (or processoriented) role from the manager (or team leader) role. The facilitator is a servant of the group. Neutral and nonjudgmental, a facilitator is responsible for making sure the participants are using the most effective methods for accomplishing their tasks. The facilitator also ensures that the team adheres to the agenda. Having an effective facilitator allows not only the team leader but also each participant to state his/her ideas openly. Keep in mind the five ingredients for effective meetings. There are five guidelines to follow regardless of where 5S for the Office is implemented: 1. Keep each meeting’s content clearly focused. 2. Incorporate mini-trainings for new methods into meetings (about 15 to 20 minutes) before action is taken. 3. Agree on a clear agenda and process before coming into the meeting. 4. Assign someone to facilitate the process and promote an open, balanced conversational flow, protecting individuals from personal attack. 5. Make sure everyone’s role and responsibilities are clearly defined and agreed upon for the duration of the meeting. If you adhere to these guidelines you will have effective meetings. Remember the purpose of Step 3. Forming a cross-functional 5S team that enables you to tap into all levels of knowledge and experience in your organization is the purpose of Step 3. This approach joins the area-specific knowledge of frontline workers with technology-based best practices of professionals, and management support. The result is a forward-moving improvement vehicle that everyone can ride. Literally hundreds of scientific studies have shown that people learn and function better in groups than they do alone. They are also likely to be more satisfied with their work and more motivated when working in a group. Teamwork encourages learning, growth, and involvement. All these things lead to improvement—continuous improvement. That is why teamwork is a key to success for Office 5S. What’s Next. Now that you have prepared your project, it is time to move on to Phase 2: performing the office scan, with the next 4 steps to implementing your 5S for the Office System.

Step 3: Form an Implementation Team—Executive Summary

PROJECT CHAMPION: A PROFILE FOR SUCCESS Name: Cal Norton

Title: Administrative Manager

Company: Value Turning Precision Tool Company Project: Reduce lead time of customer orders and reorganize office to fit new process design What made him successful? • Cal made sure that the project was “worthwhile.” He talked to customers and the owner before he invested time and energy in the project. • In forming the team, he invited key people to participate. He didn’t assume that people would want to join up. • He really cared about the project and about better service. • He understood that in addition to the paying customer, he had an “internal” customer to serve—the production teams. So he invited them to participate. • He always created meeting agendas 3 days in advance and sent them to everyone. Minutes and action items for each meeting were posted, and a special copy was sent to the plant manager. • He was not afraid to make changes. He would “test” ideas before adopting them. Note: Cal was successful. Lead time for order processing dropped from two days at the start of the project to 20 minutes at its conclusion!

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Chapter 2: Perform an Office Scan OVERVIEW Chapter 1 covered the preliminary basics—getting management involved, identifying the specific target area for your first 5S office project, and getting the team up and running. Chapter 2 delves into the nitty-gritty of analyzing (or scanning) the problem you have targeted. The following steps are used in this process: Step 4: Select Project Measures and Collect Baseline Data Step 5: Photograph Current Conditions Step 6: Apply the Office Scan Checklist Step 7: Post a Project Storyboard

Step 4: Select Project Measures and Get Baseline Data—Executive Summary Purpose: To provide a focus for improvement for office organization and standardization and a system of measurement to ensure that you continue to keep that focus Who Does It: The core implementation team Time Frame: A total of one month: • One day to choose the measures and create the system • One month to collect baseline data Note: Steps 4 through 6 can be addressed concurrently. Procedure: 1. Determine the strategic alignment of the project you’ve targeted. 2. Select how you will measure project success. 3. Develop a method for measurement. • Decide who will collect the measures. • Decide how often and when measures will be collected. • Develop a form for measurement. 4. Gather and post baseline data. Worksheets and Forms: Measurement selection worksheet (see Figure 2-1); measurement planning worksheet (see Figure 2-3); statistical process control charts and graphs (see Figures 2-4, 2-5) Starter Tips: 1. Choose measures that help eliminate the 7 Deadly Wastes (described in the Introduction of this book). 2. Align your project measures with your company’s strategic measures. 3. Make sure your measures are easy to collect. 4. Select measures that relate directly to performance improvement. 5. Use baseline data instead of jumping to conclusions. 6. Standardize your data collection methods and ensure that everyone is trained in those methods. 7. Always use visual displays of results as part of a measurement system.

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Chapter 2: Perform an Office Scan

Purpose of Measurement Nearly everything that is worth doing well can be linked with measures. Think about it. If you just want to shoot baskets with a basketball, you may not keep score. But if it matters—if you want to win—you keep score. And when high stakes are involved, as they are in professional basketball, you should measure far more than wins and losses. The same is true in daily life. Here, a typical measurement activity is balancing your checking account. The better you are at measurement, the easier it is to perform and the easier it is to identify problems before they become serious. One of the best reasons for measuring something is that what gets measured gets done, and what does not get measured does not get done. In this connection, measurement is both a focus and a warning. When you measure something, you focus on it in detail. If you choose the right measuring device, it can provide a warning if something is wrong. If you do not measure at all, you often miss both the focus and the warning. This can be very risky. With this in mind, one purpose of this step is to help you select the things that you want to improve with the 5S for the Office program and then choose the measures that will ensure that those things will be improved. The process, however, relies on measuring things correctly, so this step is also aimed at creating an effective measurement system.

Who Does It The core implementation team must be fully involved in implementing this step. In the past, a “top-down” approach has been applied to measurement. For example, the primary complaint at a company selling vitamins and supplements by phone was about the time it took customer service to handle calls. The president of the company mandated that every order be processed within the same day of the call. This seemed like a good idea— except to the customer service staff who knew better. Their own recommendation for the same problem was that such calls should take a maximum of 60 seconds. Unfortunately, the president would not budge—he knew better, too. Obviously, customer service ratings at the company never improved. This “top-down” approach often results in failure for the following reasons: • The people performing the measurement are unclear as to what is being measured and why. • The wrong measure is often chosen by someone who does not completely understand the issues. • No consensus about correct measurements exists. • Measurements do not apply to frontline improvements. • The methods for gathering data are misunderstood, poorly communicated, or poorly developed. The core implementation team has the primary responsibility for implementing this step. They will succeed by playing catchball with the project champion and other extended team members, and by avoiding these and similar pitfalls.

Step 4: Select Project Measures and Get Baseline Data—Executive Summary

45

Step-by-step Procedure There are four primary tasks in Step 4. Each of these is discussed in detail below. 1. Determine the strategic alignment of the project you have targeted. 2. Select how you will measure project success. 3. Develop a method for measurement. • Decide who will collect the measures. • Decide how often and when measures will be collected. • Develop a form for measurement. 4. Gather and post baseline data. Task 1: Determine the Strategic Alignment for Your Measures The purpose of this task is to ensure that your team is aligned with your company as a whole, and this information may already be provided in the team charter, which you created in Step 3 (refer back to Figure 1-8). Note that the difference between strategic and operational objectives is that strategic measurements are used to keep track of industry and business unit objectives; in contrast, operational measurements are those used by the people doing the work to assure themselves they are producing quality work and services, on time and within cost needs. Your precise job in this step is to identify strategic measurements. Be aware that most of these already exist somewhere; the main objective here will be to decide which of several measuring strategies best suits a given situation. A precision machine shop in Michigan had a strategic measurement of total tooling costs as percent of sales. When measurement was first implemented, total tool cost was about 6 percent of sales each month—almost $40,000. It is now down to 2.5 percent per month. After implementing 5S for the Office, the quality office found it could greatly reduce costs for gauging by using the 5S System, which revealed that two operational measurements were at work here: One was gauge replacement cost and the other was gauge repair cost. Measurements Reduce Waste Successful project measurement focuses on eliminating the 7 Deadly Wastes (described in the Introduction). While some measures are generic for all projects, others will be specific to yours. Determining the measures that are right for your project depends on the specific circumstances of the target area and processes that you wish to improve. This should be done as soon as you identify your strategic alignment. Task 2: Select How You Will Measure Project Improvements A project improvement measure is like an operational measurement. The people who are doing the work use it to ensure that they will produce quality work and services on time and within cost parameters. Keeping this in mind, and remembering that the purpose of Office 5S is to organize and standardize the office and eliminate waste, you should direct the primary Office 5S Objectives toward achieving: • An organized physical workplace • An efficient work flow

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• • • •

Chapter 2: Perform an Office Scan

Quality of work or service Equipment effectiveness Effective use of facilities A quality work environment.

A number of standard measures are effective in evaluating whether and how well the Office 5S objectives are being met. Figure 2-1 provides a sample of standard measures to use for 5S for the Office. However, because every project is different, it is wise to choose measuring instruments that will help provide focus for the specific changes your project entails. Best Measurements for 5S for the Office 5S Objective

Measurement

Organized Physical Workplace

– Reduction in square footage – Reduction in time searching for information supplies, equipment, any type of tool or item, etc.

Efficient Work Flow

– Reduction in distance to walk – Reduction in waiting for other people’s work – Reduction in process or task time – Meeting deadlines

Quality Work or Service

– Reduction in mistakes – Fewer complaints by customers

Equipment Effectiveness

– Reduction in equipment downtime – Higher equipment productivity

Effective Use of Facilities

– Lower cost percentage – Reduction of square footage

Quality Work Environment

– Lower absenteeism

Figure 2-1. Examples of Objectives and Measures for Office 5S

Remember that your task is to choose measurements that drive the project. Choosing too many measurements can do just the opposite. Two or three will suffice. Also remember that the measurements you choose can be broken into smaller measurement units on the front line to serve individual departments or processes. Task 3: Develop a Method for Measurement Good measurement relies on good methodology. Two useful tools to help you measure well are a measurement planning worksheet (shown in Figure 2-3) and a series of questions that help you refine the measurement process. How will you break down measurements into manageable pieces? Assume that the target office is the quality office and that one of your measures is “time wasted in setting up inspection tools for delivery to machine operators.” Currently, you

Step 4: Select Project Measures and Get Baseline Data—Executive Summary

47

know that operators do not always have inspection tools when they need them. This slows down production and wastes operator time. Sometimes it even results in late deliveries. However, you cannot gain any significant insights by examining “time wasted” as a single number. Knowing the various reasons people are waiting for inspection tools can help you eliminate or reduce the things that cause delays. You can accomplish this through measurement stratification, that is, breaking one measure into smaller measures so that appropriate action can be taken. One company accomplished this by using Pareto Charts to manage its data. A Pareto Chart is a bar graph of data arranged in descending order of size or importance to separate and display the critical few from the trivial many causes of a problem (shown in Figure 2-5). 1. The team selected the quality office as the target area. 2. The team decided to measure how much time was wasted (in minutes) for each of the following: • Searching for inspection tools • Waiting (especially for delivery to cells and reorders) • Damaged gauges or devices • Travel/walk time • Any other reasons for wasted time. 3. The team decided to gather data for the month of September. 4. The total number of minutes of downtime was 400—almost seven hours! In other words, downtime consumed an entire work day each month. 5. The analysis was broken down into categories on a chart similar to the one shown in Figure 2-2.

# Minutes % Total

Searching

Waiting

Broken

Traveling

Other

Total

150

80

100

40

30

400

37.5%

20%

25%

10%

7.5%

100%

Figure 2-2. Category Analysis

As the figure illustrates, stratifying the problem showed its individual parts and what impact each of these parts had on the whole. Note that searching for inspection tools, a function related to organization, was the biggest problem. As the breakdown suggests, better organization would probably also reduce traveling time and even the number of broken gauges. Intelligent measurement provided very helpful data. By using the 5S System to develop a control board (a visually controlled storage and retrieval process) and a gauge-tagging system, this company completely eliminated all searching and waiting for inspection tools. When you fill out your own measurement planning worksheet, you should include your project measurements and then stratify these measures to provide specific details. Figure 2-3 provides a sample form you can use to create your own worksheets.

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Measurement Planning Worksheet Purpose:

To plan the 5S for the Office measurement system

Directions:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Decide which measures you will use, then enter them in the worksheet below. Work from left to right for each measure. Complete the answers for each measure before starting the next. Decide, for each measurement, who will be responsible for measurement, how often it will be measured, the form used to gather data, to whom the data will be reported, the type of graph in which it will be displayed, and where.

Measure Lead time for each order entered

Who Is Responsible

How Often Measured

Form Used to Measure

To Whom to Report

Type of Display/Where

Lorie

Each order

OE log

Tom J. (Op. Mgr.)

Daily bar chart (Daily avg.) Outside OE Office on wall

Figure 2-3. Example of Measurement Planning Worksheet for 5S for the Office

Who will be responsible for measurement? There should always be a member of the team responsible for the measurement process. However, measurement will be most meaningful if all office workers participate in data collection. The example below illustrates how this works. A company whose core competency was production of prototypes of airplane parts had to reduce the amount of time it took to create engineering prints for new products. The director of engineering was responsible for overall measurement, but each engineer calculated and posted the “start” and “end” dates and the total hours worked on every print completed. Because every engineer participated in data collection, the information gathered provided meaningful details that enhanced the “global” picture. Now is the time to get worker buy-in and participation. It is the team’s job to facilitate this process and provide any training necessary to make it happen. It begins with the creation of measurement standards and may require workshops and on-the-job coaching. How often should measurement occur? Measurement should occur often and become part of regular business processes. For most measurements, you should have a score at the end of each shift or day. The sooner you know the score, the better. Then you can begin to calculate a weekly and monthly score. All the scores, individually and collectively, can help you plan improvement activities and a timeline for those activities. For example, if you are losing two customers a day because your office has been delaying orders to the shop floor, thereby delaying delivery, how soon would you want to know about this problem? How many customers can you afford to lose before you take action?

Step 4: Select Project Measures and Get Baseline Data—Executive Summary

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What standardized form will you use for measurement? As baseline data are collected, more than one person will be collecting. You certainly hope they will be collecting the same information. The only way to ensure that they are is to • Design a form • Get input from the users about the form • Make changes based on their feedback • Make it simple to use (big and visual) • Train everybody to use the form • Make it accessible at point of use. Every project deserves its own form. That kind of ownership always makes it more likely that the form will be used. Figure 2-4 illustrates a practical baseline data worksheet that dovetails with the category analysis breakdown shown in Figure 2-2. Office 5S Project Your Name: Dana Pelinsky

Date: September 12

Shift: 1

– Please record (with comments) number of minutes wasted in issuing an inspection tool. – Submit form to your team leader at end of shift. Thanks, Chris Smith Search 25

Wait

Break

Wrong Tool

Travel

Other

15

0

0

10

5

Comments All wasted time had to do with same tools change. First I had to search for my backup tool when the current one wore out. But Stevie took it last night. Then I had to walk to the crib, wait for John to find a backup, and walk back. Then I had to install it (5 min.). If Stevie didn’t take my backup I would have been OK.

Figure 2-4. Example of a Baseline Data Worksheet

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Who will report the data? The most important type of report is a visual report at the job site, and here you must determine whose opinion is important. With any project, the role of “reporter” should be established during the formation of the team charter. How should measurement be used? Measurement for measurement’s sake is a waste of time. To be useful, it must have a purpose and you must determine how it will be used. For measuring problems using the 5S Office System, the following points suggest three major uses for the measurement data you will be collecting: • If you use the right measures—measures that matter—everyone will pay attention to important workplace conditions. • You can analyze trends. Run charts (charts that show increases or decreases over time) are especially useful for this because they allow people to recognize trends at a glance. • You can diagnosis conditions. For this, you will want to use Pareto Charts (see Figure 2-5 for an example) because you can easily see causes of problems and prioritize corrective activities.

Searching (150 min.)

September—Quality Office Time Waste Study Total = 400 Minutes Broken (100 min.)

Waiting (80 min.) Traveling (40 min.)

Other (30 min.)

Time in Minutes

Figure 2-5. Example of a Pareto Chart

A graph is easy to understand (compare Figure 2-5 to Figure 2-2, which presents the same information). It communicates more effectively than a string of numbers or words alone. You can easily tell whether something is rising or falling. Moreover, because they are so easy to comprehend, graphs often evoke an emotional reaction to data and propel action. Task 4: Gather and Post Baseline Data When data are gathered and posted correctly, especially in an area where performance is not up to par, it serves as an early warning signal. People will want to do something. No

Step 4: Select Project Measures and Get Baseline Data—Executive Summary

one has to tell them—the data are there for everyone to see. And when the posted data improve because people have made changes, those people feel rewarded.

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 4 Over the past twenty years 5S for the Office has generated many success stories related to measurement. You may find some specific observations about measurement very useful. Ask critical questions. Even though there is a great deal of promise in the idea of “What gets measured gets done,” there is also some danger in following this maxim without a clear purpose. In many cases, people measure the wrong thing. To guard against measuring the wrong thing, always ask these critical questions: • What waste am I trying to eliminate? • What behavior am I trying to support? • How is the measurement to be used ? • Whose outlook is critical? Keep in mind that everybody (and every office) is different—or are they? There are so many types of offices, people, and problems that the principle “Everyone is different” seems universally applicable. On the other hand, when it comes to measurement, all offices, people, and problems have a lot in common. For example, we all tend to use too much paper. We like “hard-copy” reports and files because that’s what we’re used to. We usually print extensive financial reports even when we end up using only the summaries. In most cases, we use too much floor area in our offices, search too long for things, spend too much time ordering supplies, and probably waste too much space storing files and other items we really don’t need. In most Office 5S projects, about 80 percent of the measurements are always the same for all offices; only 20 percent are unique to specific companies. Remember the purpose of Step 4. Its purpose is to provide a focus for what you want to get done. It is the way you measure, not just the fact that you do measure, that provides the focus. Stated another way, it is the process of measurement that is important, not the product of measurement.

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Step 5: Photograph Current Conditions— Executive Summary Purpose: Document the current conditions of the office target area so you can show how it changes over time Who Does It: A designated member of the core implementation team Time Frame: Approximately one hour Note: If you are videotaping a process, it takes as long as the process takes. Note: Steps 4 through 6 can occur at the same time. Procedure: 1. Choose a team member to be the photographer. 2. Review directions and helpful hints. 3. Gather all equipment and supplies. 4. Identify potential photo shots. 5. Take and print photographs. 6. Label photos (designate location and problems). 7. Make a visual display. 8. Plan date for the next photo shoot. Worksheets and Forms: Office feedback photography worksheet (see the example in Figure 2-8) Starter Tips: 1. Pick and choose your shots wisely: photographs are powerful, but too many will overwhelm the audience and defeat your purpose. 2. Whenever you take future photos to show improvement, take them from the same location and angle as the first. 3. Create a photographic story from the “outside in”—begin shooting on the perimeter of the area and then go inside. 4. Always get shots inside drawers, cabinets, and closets. 5. Keep in mind that the best shots are taken when the area is in operation, not when it is shut down. 6. Make your display photos part of a larger visual display that includes baseline data, graphs and charts, and a target statement. 7. Save time by planning an overview of your photo history. Don’t just start taking pictures without a plan because this wastes time and film. 52

Step 5: Photograph Current Conditions—Executive Summary

53

Purpose of Photographing Current Conditions One picture really is worth a thousand words. By documenting key conditions with photographs and posting those photos, you will demonstrate exactly what the conditions and problems are in your target area.

Who Does It One or two people on the core implementation team should take on this responsibility. As you will see, this is not a one-time activity. You will want to document the same shot in various stages of improvement.

Step-by-step Procedure There are eight primary tasks in Step 5. Each of these tasks is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Choose a team member to be the photographer. 2. Review directions and helpful hints. 3. Gather all equipment and supplies. 4. Identify potential photo shots. 5. Take and print photographs. 6. Label photos (location and problems). 7. Make a visual display. 8. Plan date for the next photo shoot. Task 1: Choose a Team Member Who Will Be Responsible for This Step It is important to clearly identify who is responsible for this activity. It is not a one-time job. It will be repeated several times. If at all possible, pick a team member who is familiar with photography. Task 2: Review Directions and Helpful Hints Before you start, review the directions and the starter tips presented for Step 5. Task 3: Gather All Equipment and Supplies Before going out to the office to take pictures, make sure you have the camera and film ready. This sounds really obvious, but at least 20 percent of the teams the authors have worked with had no film, no digital disc, an uncharged camera, or a malfunctioning camera when they began taking pictures. Now that’s a waste of time! Digital or Polaroid Instamatic cameras are recommended for immediate pictures.

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Task 4: Identify Potential Photo Shots Before you start shooting, identify potential shots that will tell the best story of the problems and current condition. Mark these locations by tagging a focal point for the camera and a place on the floor where you will stand. This is called “fixed-position” photography (See Figure 2-6). This fixed position will later ensure that you get an exact comparison of before and after pictures. In Figure 2-6, the supply management clerk wanted to ensure proper storage of boxes and maintain an orderly and clean workplace. By continuing to compare the same focal point over time, he was able to see how well he met his goals. His first shot served as his standard.

Figure 2-6. Example of Fixed Position Photography Method

Task 5: Take and Produce the Photographs Now it’s time to take the shots. The only trick here is to view the workplace as if seeing it for the first time. Get shots of open drawers, cabinets, closets, etc.—places in which problems can hide. Also get shots from under and above—the camera helps you discover things. Produce the photographs as quickly as possible. For example, if you can take digital shots and plug them into an LCD projector to view with the team immediately, the team can analyze conditions immediately. Task 6: Label Photos (Location and Problems) Remember that you will be going back to photograph these exact same places again, so document the pictures well. Include exact location, date, and problem documented.

Step 5: Photograph Current Conditions—Executive Summary

Date:

2/7/06

Target Area:

Customer Service Office

Photo Item:

Supply Shelf

Photographer:

John J.

Comments:

Easy to find what I need. Easy to reorder

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Figure 2-7. How to Label Photos

Task 7: Make a Visual Display If done well, nothing can be more revealing than a photographic display. Over time it will be interesting to show how conditions change. You then have the option of showing improvement in various stages. As shown in Figure 2-8, Phase I shows an OE Supervisor’s desk drawer before Sorting. Phase II shows the same drawer after Sorting. Phase III shows it after Set in Order. There can be up to five phases. Position

Phase I

Phase II

Phase III

OE Supervisor Desk Drawer

Figure 2-8. Example of Office Feedback Photographic Record

Task 8: Plan Date for the Next Photo Shoot This was only the first round of shots. Choose a date for the next one. It shouldn’t be more than two weeks after the first photo shoot, or you will lose momentum.

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 5 Don’t overdo it. Photographs can be powerful tools, but they can also be overused. It is best to choose a few pictures that tell a story clearly than too many. Look for the “money” shot—the shot that exemplifies the conditions in the office. One shot that evokes an impression is better than several of the same condition. Make the photos real. The best photographic shots are taken when the office target area is in operation. In other words, make the shots “real,” not staged. Don’t clean up before shooting. Don’t announce the photo shoot ahead of time. Remember the purpose of Step 5. Remember that in Step 5 you are beginning to create a photographic story, so it is best to take pictures, over time, from the exact same location. Also remember to create a story from the outside in, from large to small, from obvious to not so obvious. And always get shots inside drawers, cabinets, and closets.

Step 6: Apply the Office Scan Checklist— Executive Summary Purpose: Perform a diagnosis of your office conditions. Do this in each target area and score your results. Conduct a second diagnosis at a future date to see if improvements are evident Who Does It: The core implementation team Time Frame: Approximately one hour Note: Again, Steps 4 through 6 can all occur at the same time. Procedure: 1. Choose the team member(s) who will be responsible for this activity. 2. Enter the date of your office scan in the upper right-hand column. 3. For the entire target area, enter the score in the box next to each line item. a. First, determine how many problems exist for each line item. b. For an area where five or more problems or conditions exist, as mentioned in the line item, enter a rating level of 0. c. Where three or four problems or conditions exist, enter a rating of 1. d. Where two problems or conditions exist, enter a rating of 2. e. Where only one problem exists, enter a rating of 3. f. Where no problems for that line item exist, enter a rating of 4. 4. After rating each line item, add all the lines and enter your total score. a. There are 25 line items; b. The highest possible total is 100. 5. Decide when you will perform this process again. Worksheets and Forms: Lean office diagnostic checklist (see Figure 2-9) Starter Tips: 1. Scan each line item separately, one at a time, by walking through the area, counting the problems for that line item alone, and then entering the rating. Doing this for each line item will give a good view of your overall current condition of that office area. 2. Assign teams of two or three to get the best results.

Purpose of the Office Scan Checklist The office scan checklist is a tool that helps you understand, in detail, your 5S problems. But the checklist has two other purposes as well. 57

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The office scan checklist is organized into the 5S categories of Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. Each of these categories is defined by five line items, or conditions. By rating the target area in this way you will learn a great deal about 5S for the Office. The process of applying the office scan checklist is almost like a mini-training about 5S for the Office. The team can use this checklist as another performance measurement for the project it is working on.

Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for the application of the office scan checklist. However, many of the line items ask for details that only frontline workers can provide. For example, only a shipping clerk can know exactly what supplies are needed in a shipping area, and in what quantity.

Step-by-step Procedure There are five primary tasks in Step 6. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Choose the team member(s) who will be responsible for this activity. 2. Enter the date that you will be conducting the office scan in the upper right-hand column. 3. For the entire target area, enter the score in the box next to each line item. 4. After rating each line item, add all the lines and enter your total score. 5. Decide when you will perform this process again to check for improvement. Task 1: Choose the Team Member(s) Who Will Be Responsible for This Activity The implementation team will initially apply the office scan checklist while performing related tasks (such as photography). For this reason, it is a good idea to assign two or three team members the responsibility of performing this particular task, which they can do while implementing Step 5. An ideal mini-team would include someone familiar with the target area, so he or she can explain everything. It should also include someone who is not familiar with the area, because this person will have a lot of questions. Mix in a manager or supervisor and you will have a very powerful group to apply the office scan checklist. Task 2: Enter the Date in the Upper Right-hand Column Each sheet allows up to four applications for the same target area. Date each application. Figure 2-9 shows where to enter the date on the form. Task 3: Enter the Score for Each Line Item The diagnostic checklist is a list of 25 problems and conditions that demonstrate ineffective use of the workplace. The higher you score, the more effective you are. The check-

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list is separated into the 5S categories of Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. Each category has five line items, or conditions, that define the category—the more problems you find for each line item, the lower your score or rating for that area: • If you have a line item where five or more problems or conditions exist, enter a rating level of 0. • If three or four problems or conditions exist, enter a rating of 1. • If two problems or conditions exist, enter a rating of 2. • If only one problem exists, enter a rating of 3. • If no problems for that line item, enter a rating of 4. For example, in the Sort category (which evaluates what is needed and not needed), line item number 1 states that “Unneeded equipment (such as adding machines, computers, calculators, fax machines), tools, furniture, etc., are present.” Is that true? How many times? If you found five or more different pieces of equipment, tools, or furniture that did not belong in the target area for whatever reason, the score for that line item would be 0. For example, in a conference room, you may find two unneeded chairs, an extra three-hole punch that doesn’t belong, a broken overhead projector (stuffed in the corner), and a small end table that is stored in the conference room because someone couldn’t decide where else to put it. That line-item score is zero. Figure 2-9 illustrates an office scan diagnostic checklist. Line item to diagnose (#1)

Date of diagnosis

Office Scan Diagnostic Checklist Your Name: Carol Category

Target Area: Customer Service—Blue Line Item

Date 5/3

SORT

1. Unneeded equipment, tools, furniture, large items are present.

0

SORT

2. Unneeded small items (gadgets books, boxes, rulers, etc.) are present.

1

SORT

3. Items present in aisles, stairways corners, etc.

1

Category (SORT)

Date

Date

Score was 0 because there were more than 5 problems with this line item

Figure 2-9. Example of Office Scan Diagnostic Checklist

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A few things should be emphasized: • It doesn’t matter why the item is there. If it is not needed, it gets the negative score. An unneeded chair is an unneeded chair. A dysfunctional piece of equipment does not belong. It doesn’t matter how large or small an item is. One unneeded stapler counts as one item as much as one unneeded desk. • Always look in drawers and cabinets. There are many little unneeded items hidden there. For example, if you have enough pencils in your desk drawer for an entire year, you should probably decide that you have 10 times more than you need. The same is true for pens, rulers, rubber bands, or paper clips. • As you get into Standardize and Sustain you may find you get complete zeros. You cannot score higher on Standardize and Sustain than on the first three categories (Sort, Set in Order, and Shine) because Standardize and Sustain depend on implementation of these additional categories. Task 4: Add All the Lines and Enter Your Total Score The office scan diagnostic checklist provides a good measure about how the target area is doing over time in relation to 5S conditions (again, see the example in Figure 2-9). The most important data it shows is not your score itself, but whether you are improving. It is a good idea to use your initial total score to set your improvement goals. For example, Figure 2-10 shows a team in a product development department that had an initial score of 23 (shown on the bar representing January 4). The office was clean but clut85

5S Scan Checklist Scores—Customer Service Team Blue

80 75 70 65 60 55

Target 50, Date 3/8

50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Date

1/4

1/18

2/1

2/15

Figure 2-10. Visual Display of Office Diagnostic Scores and Target

3/8

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tered, and team members could never find anything—especially old manuscripts and photographs. The team set a target of 50 in eight weeks, but it decided that it would measure its progress weekly. By week eight, its score was 56. Office-wide visual displays An office-wide visual display should not show specific scores for each target area because each will have different environments and conditions. So a direct comparison is irrelevant (i.e., a score of 50 in one area doesn’t have the same meaning as a score of 50 in another area). Instead, the visual display should show whether an area has met its target and whether it has achieved its highest gain or potential. Companies often attach these visual metrics to reward and recognition programs. Figure 2-11 illustrates an office-wide visual display. Office-wide 5S Scores

O = Met Target X = Target Not Met !! = Best Gain Yet

Jan

Feb

Mar

April

May

June

July

Aug

Sept

Area A

X

X

!!

O

O

O

O

O

O

Area B

O

O

!!

O

O

O

O

O

O

Area C

O

O

O

O

X

O

O

O

O

Area D

O

O

O

O

X

O

O

O

O

Area E

O

O

O

O

X

O

O

O

O

Oct

Nov

Dec

Figure 2-11. Office-wide Visual Displays

Task 5: Determine When You Will Perform This Process Again It is a good idea to take pictures and apply the office scan checklist at the same time. Every two weeks is recommended until targets are reached.

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 6 Recognize that the diagnostic checklist is a learning tool. The diagnostic checklist will lead you through every aspect of Office 5S. As one team commented, “The Diagnostic Checklist was a mini-training about 5S. We learned more about 5S for the Office when we applied the checklist than we did when we attended a four-hour workshop.” You will also learn a lot about your target area. You may discover things you didn’t know existed and even about things you didn’t want to know. For example, the purchasing office of a food processing company discovered catalogues dating back 12 years, and a customer service department found computer wires from computers that no longer existed—models they had never heard of. One team member found a $100 bill, so the office manager treated the team to lunch! Keep in mind that what matters is what exists now. The best way to rate the target area concerning a particular line item is to inspect the entire area at the time of inspection. It doesn’t matter whether things are “going to be put back later” or what is “supposed to be.” What matters is what exists at the moment. Remember the purpose of Step 6. Understanding the 5S problems in your target area, in detail, so that you can begin to make improvements is the purpose of Step 6. The diagnostic checklist provides a process for you to achieve this understanding.

Step 7: Post a Project Storyboard— Executive Summary Purpose: To allow anyone who is interested to easily observe a project—where it started, where it has to go, and where it is at any given time Who Does It: The core implementation team Time Frame: One week or less, after you have completed Steps 4 through 6 Procedure: 1. Choose the team member(s) who will be responsible for this activity. 2. Identify your audience and location. 3. Identify where you will post the storyboard. 4. Write a target statement for what you want your storyboard to show. 5. Develop, create, and post the real storyboard. Worksheets and Forms: Storyboard worksheet (see Figure 2-13 for outline) Starter Tips: 1. Remember, one picture is worth a thousand words. 2. Include titles and subtitles: these are crucial. 3. Flow your storyboard from left to right—that’s the way people read. 4. Remember the purpose of your storyboard is to communicate, attract, and teach. Artistic ideas should serve this purpose. 5. Consider format issues such as spacing, legibility, size, etc. 6. Think visually—make the storyboard colorful and communicative. 7. Never let a storyboard get out of date.

Purpose of Storyboards Storyboarding is a visual representation of a story, concept, process, or implementation plan. It describes in logical steps all of the activities that have been, or need to be, accomplished to reach a goal. And it demonstrates results. In Office 5S, storyboards have three primary objectives: 1. To educate everyone about 5S for the Office and the ongoing conditions in the office 2. To keep everyone focused on the important issues for improvement 3. To get buy-in for the Office 5S project. To accomplish these objectives, 5S storyboards must be living documents. They should always be changing and growing as the project changes. 63

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Figure 2-12. Example of a 5S Storyboard

Who Does It Someone on the core implementation team should be responsible for the storyboard. However, the more participation that person can get from nonteam members, the more interest there will be, and the more creative the storyboard will be. For example, a Lee Blake Precision Machine Company team made it a practice for anyone who observed a problem or fact relating to the project to post that observation on yellow cards on the storyboard. Any ideas for improvement were posted on blue cards. In addition, managers must show a great deal of interest in these storyboards. In fact, the site where a storyboard is posted is the perfect location to hold meetings. One 5S team in a hospital emergency room in Houston held a 20-minute meeting at the storyboard (posted in the ER lounge) every Friday afternoon at 2 PM. Ten of those minutes were break time, and ten were scheduled meeting time. Project accomplishments were discussed and new plans were agreed upon.

Step-by-step Procedure There are five primary tasks in Step 7. Each task is described in the following sections. 1. Choose the team member(s) who will be responsible for creating the storyboard. 2. Identify your audience (i.e., who the storyboard is being created for) and the location where the storyboard will be posted. 3. Write a target statement for what your storyboard should depict. 4. Identify information categories (see Figure 2-13). 5. Develop, create, and post the storyboard. Task 1: Choose the Team Members Who Will Be Responsible for the Storyboard It takes a certain organizational ability to manage this task. In addition, it is something that must be done on a regular basis, as new information is available. For that reason, it is recommended that two people be in charge.

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One person is the manager/planner, the person who gathers the information and ensures that it is translated to the storyboard regularly—perhaps every one to two weeks. The second person is the artist/designer, the person who can make information look good visually. If no one on the team can do this, enlist outside support. Task 2: Identify the Audience for and Location of Your Storyboard Do not do any planning until you are completely certain who your audience is and where you will post the storyboard. For example, is your audience made up of employees? If so, company jargon can be used and the location can be the lunchroom or worksite. However, if customers are part of your audience, then you should consider using a location, words, phrases, and pictures that make the information accessible to this “outside” audience. What you say, how you say it, even the language you use, completely depends on your audience. Many storyboards fail because the wrong pictures or the wrong jokes are used. Others fail because there are too many words or because the wording is inappropriate for the intended audience. The key point to emphasize here is Know your audience! Believe it or not, an automobile parts manufacturer in El Paso, Texas, whose workforce was 65 percent Hispanic-speaking, had a 5S team create an English-only storyboard. Needless to say, it was not effective. It is equally important to know in advance exactly where the storyboard will be displayed. Too often a team creates a storyboard and then finds it is too big to hang in the area it was intended to hang. Another common problem is finding that the storyboard is difficult to attach to the wall. Think outside the box. Storyboards don’t have to hang on walls. You can purchase bulletin boards on wheels. You can hang storyboards from ceilings. They can be threedimensional. If you want ideas, go to modern art or science museums. Above all, know your location before you design your storyboard! Task 3: Write a Target Statement Describing What Your Storyboard Should Illustrate In this story, you need to tell everyone the outcome. The target statement is that outcome and is a crucial element of the storyboard. The purpose of the target statement is to explain exactly what the team should achieve and when it should be achieved, in clear, understandable words. Because the goal is usually to eliminate office waste or increase efficiency, the target statement usually begins with words like “eliminate” or “reduce” or “increase”—words that can be connected to real measurement. A good target statement must 1. Be easy to read (probably one sentence) 2. State why the target is important 3. State the date of completion 4. State the improvement measurement.

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An example of a poor target statement “The quality office will reduce the amount of wasted time for inspection tools to 200 hours.” This is a poorly written target statement. It does not give a target date for when the 200 hours will be reached or give any information about the base rate. It provides no clue about what will change for the better once the goal is reached. In addition, “inspection tools” is far too ambiguous. An example of a good target statement is “The quality office will reduce the amount of wasted time for searching, waiting, broken inspection tools from 400 hours in September to 200 hours in October. This will allow staff to meet assigned work objectives.” This target statement is obviously much better. It states the base rate, the target date, and how long the team has to meet the target. It also provides a purpose (if they meet the target they will be able to perform their assigned work). In addition, it specifies conditions or things that clearly define what creates wasted time (searching, waiting, broken inspection tools). Task 4: Identify Which Information and Illustrations Will Be Included on the Storyboard Keeping in mind that the purpose of the storyboard is to communicate the process and progress of the Office 5S project, the team must brainstorm the various categories of information that should be displayed. Because 5S for the Office has a logical process flow, many teams have arrived at storyboards with many of the same activity headings as those listed in Figure 2-13. The activity headings give you an outline and format for the information, pictures, illustrations, etc. that you need to gather. Remember to tackle only what you can really commit to. Too many storyboards fail midstream because teams begin optimistically and then find they cannot keep up with the task. Task 5: Develop, Create, and Post Your Storyboard After the team agrees on the activity headings, it is time to create the storyboard. You may want to begin on a white board first and then experiment with other colors and designs. Never begin until you have exactly what you want to include.

Step 7: Post a Project Storyboard—Executive Summary

Activity Headings 5S for the Office Storyboard • • • • • •

•

•

•

•

Purpose, Goal, Mission Team Members Measurements and Visual Metrics—ongoing Photographs—throughout the project Office Scan Checklist—throughout the project SORT – Mini-educational – Before, during, and after conditions—pictures, etc. – Other forms, what was accomplished, etc. SET IN ORDER – Mini-educational – Before, during, and after conditions—pictures, etc. – Other forms, what was accomplished, etc. SHINE – Mini-educational – Before, during, and after conditions—pictures, etc. – Other forms, what was accomplished, etc. STANDARDIZE – Mini-educational – Before, during, and after conditions—pictures, etc. – Other forms, what was accomplished, etc. SUSTAIN – Mini-educational

Figure 2-13. Example of List of Content Categories for Office 5S Storyboard

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 7 Remember, one picture is worth 1,000 words. The most important rule to follow is to keep it simple! Pictures often do this better than a thousand words. Make your storyboard user friendly. The best way to do this is through good organization. The information should be logically organized, and you should help readers by using good titles and subtitles. Also, a flow from left to right is usually best. Keep the storyboard alive. Update and change the storyboard as new data become available. If the same words and images are displayed for too long, people will stop looking. Weekly updates are good. Daily updates are even better. Keep in mind the purpose of Step 7. It’s to communicate by illustrating problem areas. Always remember that your purpose is to communicate. Color, pictures, and graphs can serve that purpose, but only if they communicate something that is worth communicating. Art for art’s sake may attract attention, but it may not accomplish the storyboard’s other purposes: to communicate or teach.

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Chapter 3: Sort Through and Sort Out OVERVIEW Chapter 2 covered the scanning phase of identifying office productivity problems: choosing projects and how to measure them, photographing current conditions, recording the severity of problems on a checklist, and creating a story board that illustrates the documentation process. This chapter moves to the sorting phase, which involves the following steps: Step 8: Determine the Criteria for Sorting Step 9: Prepare a Holding Area Step 10: Start Sorting!

Step 8: Determine the Criteria for Sorting— Executive Summary Purpose: To provide the guidelines and standards by which everyone will perform the Sorting activities Who Does It: The core implementation team Time Frame: One day to one week, depending on size of target area Procedure: 1. Develop a standard operating procedure for Sort. 2. Design a sort inspection sheet for the area. 3. Design red tags. 4. Design an item disposition checklist. Worksheets and Forms: Application task list for Sort (see Figure 3-1); Sort inspection sheet (see Figure 3-2); red tags (see Figure 3-3); item disposition checklist (see Figure 3-4) Starter Tips: 1. Use the standard operating procedure to get everyone on the same page and ensure an in-depth Sort procedure. 2. At this stage, focus on only one thing: “When in doubt, move it out.” 3. Perform the Sorting process first, because it is wasteful to organize and clean items that are unneeded.

Purpose of Sort Criteria Applying the Sort function to the office means that you will • Sort through everything in the target area • Separate the items that are unnecessary or in the wrong place • Remove those items from the work area. This task is not as easy as it seems. You will immediately need to address a number of questions: • What is the definition of “necessary?” • Who gets to decide what to keep and what to get rid of? • Where should this happen? Is there anything that is “off limits”? • What should happen to the items that are removed? • How often should this be done? 71

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The purpose of the Sort criteria is to answer these questions and to provide guidelines so that everyone is performing this step in the same way—the best way. It is also a way to educate everyone about the power of this activity. When you perform this step, Sort becomes much more than a clean-up activity. You will see that it is a way to reinvent your office completely because it provides an opportunity to decide how things “should” be organized rather than how they are currently organized.

Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for determining criteria for Sort. However, if other teams have already done this task, or if a central training team or standard operating procedures committee has already established these criteria, you may not have to perform this step. You should, however, learn the criteria. When you first implement the 5S program in an office, it is necessary to create an item disposition list (see Figure 3-4). Subsequent teams don’t have to reinvent the wheel; they can use the same standard form.

Step-by-step Procedure There are four primary tasks in Step 8. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Develop a standard operating procedure for Sort (see Figure 3-1). 2. Design a sort inspection sheet for the area (see Figure 3-2). 3. Design red tags (see Figure 3-3). 4. Design an item disposition checklist (see Figure 3-4). Task 1: Create Application Task Lists Using a standardized method for Sort ensures that the outcome will be predictable. When used effectively, a standard operating procedure (SOP) will help people perform Sort activities in the best, easiest, safest, and quickest way. Figure 3-1 provides an example of application tasks for Sort. Task 2: Create a Sort Inspection Sheet A Sort Inspection Sheet, shown in Figure 3-2, helps team members and workers look for potential items to sort. Details may differ since there are many types of offices, and each team should create its own sheet. For example, a quality office may identify an entire category of inspection tools that a customer service department does not use or need. The quality office may have a category listing each type of gauge or tool. The human relations office of one company included a kitchen as part of its project, so the team had to include an entire category of kitchen supplies, food, and utensils on its sheet.

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5S for the Office Application Tasks—Sort #

Application Task

1

Prepare the holding area

2

Prepare all forms, red tags, and checklists

3

Set the date and time for Sort

4

Confirm management permission for Sort

5

Determine who will facilitate the Sort activities

6

Notify workers in the target area

7

Prepare the team

8

Inspect all items in the area (use sort inspection sheet)

9

Red tag unneeded items, or use red tag box

10

Throw out trash and garbage

11

Remove unneeded items to holding area

12

Record items eliminated on unneeded items log

13

Clean while you red tag

14

Put wires, chairs, books, etc., back in place as you encounter them Figure 3-1. Example of Application Tasks for Sort

Task 3: Create Red Tags The color red draws attention so problems are not forgotten. On the tag you will record who tagged an item, where and when it was tagged, and why it doesn’t belong at a given location. Tags may contain additional information, such as the value of the item, a file number, or suggestions for how to dispose of the item. Choose a format for your tags that serves the needs of your environment. A sample red tag is shown in Figure 3-3. Be careful not to overuse red tags. When you are performing Sort, if you are certain something is garbage or trash (junk mail, old boxes, unusable pens, outdated catalogues), just throw it out. In addition, if you find something from another area and you know where it belongs, take it there. Red tags and rules are made to save time and make sorting easier, not more difficult. A model of how not to perform red tagging may provide some insights. One company’s policy was to red tag everything that was removed from a target area and to place these items in a holding area. Once a week, a supervisor would make decisions about the disposition of all items. This was not only duplicating a task, it was turning the holding area into a dumpsite. Moreover, it undermined the 5S team by suggesting the team’s sorting activities were somehow inadequate, thus undermining the working environment that 5S attempts to build.

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Sort Inspection Sheet Target Area: Purpose:

To ensure that everyone examines all potential items for Sort

Directions:

1. Examine all items under each category below for entire target area. 2. When you find an item that may not belong, remove it or attach a Red Tag Check the walls, boards, etc. – Hanging and posted items—unneeded? – Out-of-date items – Useless signboards and messages – Unused messages and statistics – Other

Search these spaces – Floors – Aisles – Desk tops – Table tops – Stairs – Corners/behind desks and equipment – Interiors drawers, cabinets, and closets

Look for unneeded supplies (or too many) – Paper and folders – Pens, markers, pencils – Staplers, rulers, scissors – Tape – Other

Look for unneeded furniture – Chairs – Desks – Carts – Filing cabinets/other cabinets – Benches – Other

Search these storage spaces – Book shelves—for unneeded books and magazines – File cabinets—for unneeded files – Closets and storage rooms—for unneeded files – Other storage spaces

Look for unneeded equipment – Computers – Printers – Phones – Copiers – Adding machines – Other electrical items – Attachments, wires, fixtures – Other

Look for other unneeded items – Dishes – Trash cans – Factory items – Clothes – Tools

Figure 3-2. Example of Sort Inspection Sheet

Name: Date: Location of Item: Reason for Red Tagging:

Figure 3-3. Example of a Red Tag

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Task 4: Create an Item Disposition Checklist. After you remove items from the target area, you need standard criteria for what to do with them. An Office 5S disposition checklist will be helpful for this activity. Figure 3-4 provides a template that most teams can use with minimal changes. Office 5S Item Disposition Checklist Target Area: Purpose:

To help decide what to do with red-tagged items

Directions:

1. Decide to which category each red-tagged item belongs. 2. Determine which action to take. 3. Use this tool in coordination with the unneeded items log if necessary.

Category

Possible Action

Obsolete

– – – –

Defective

– Return to supplier – Discard

Trash/Garbage

– Recycle – Discard

Unneeded in This Area

– Move to proper location

Used at Least Once per Day

– Carry with you – Store at point of use

Used About Once per Week

– Store in area, close to point of use

Used Less Than Once per Month

– Store where accessible and easy to find

Seldom Used, Must Keep

– Store out of the way, visually controlled and dated, with planned retrieval.

Seldom Used

– Store out of the way, visually controlled and dated, with retrieval planned, or – Discard if this is a less expensive option.

Use Unknown

– Move to central storage if you can’t easily find its use. Apply to one of the above categories.

Sell Hold for depreciation Give away Discard

Figure 3-4. Example of an Office 5S Item Disposition Checklist

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 8 When in doubt, move it out. The first and most important rule for Sort is “when in doubt, move it out.” All other criteria for Sort are linked to this, and other rules should be created to support this principle. Remember, red tagging is ongoing. Red tagging should be performed every day. Carry a few red tags in your pocket, or make them easily available. Whenever you see something that doesn’t belong, red tag it! You can deal with the red-tagged item later—during a specified period at the end of the day—or designate someone else to deal it and other red-tagged items, even someone who is not part of the 5S team. Keep it simple. Developing criteria before you act is important because it brings the team together, develops a group mindset, and ensures in-depth action. Resist the temptation to make things complicated. Use what is already available in the book and modify it. Don’t make things so complicated they get in the way of action and improvement. Create a list of questions. These can be listed on the back of red tags as reminders or as guidelines. A sample of one 5S team’s red-tag question list is provided in Figure 3-5.

SORT Questions: 1. Does the item have a function in the area? If not, even if it has a function in another area, why should it be tagged? 2. Who needs this item? 3. How often is it used? 4. If I remove this item, will it really matter? 5. How many are needed?

Figure 3-5. Example of Sort Questions on a Red Tag

Step 9: Prepare a Holding Area for the Sorted Items—Executive Summary Purpose: To provide the guidelines and standards for everyone performing sorting activities Who Does It: The core implementation team Time Frame: One week Procedure: 1. Select a holding area for sorted items. 2. Determine guidelines for operating the holding area. 3. Select a holding area manager. 4. Visually control the holding area. Worksheets and Forms: Unneeded items log (see Figure 3-7) Starter Tips 1. Set up a local holding area for use by the target-area workers. 2. Set up a central holding area for use by the entire office and for items too large for local areas. 3. Mark the location of holding areas clearly. 4. Post the rules and disposition procedures in all holding areas. 5. Assign a designated manager for each holding area.

Purpose of a Holding Area Office holding areas are areas where unneeded items can be temporarily deposited until they are moved to other locations or disposed of. Each target area should have an adjacent local holding area. If the office is large enough, consider a central holding area that the entire office staff can use, especially for items too large to be kept in local holding areas. Holding areas enable the Sort phase of 5S for the Office. With holding areas, operational people are more likely to move an item out when the need for the item is in doubt. Without a holding area, the decision is usually to “leave it where it is.” A comment from one of the order-entry team members at a manufacturing company that instituted 5S says it best: “For years, there were out-of-date adding machines, a typewriter, and all sorts of junk that we hid in our closet. We had no where else to put it. We were afraid to throw it out. Finally we had a place [the holding area] to put it. What a relief!”

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Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for setting up the initial holding area in conjunction with the manager or supervisor in the target area. As soon as possible, responsibility for the holding area should be transferred to someone who works in the target area and who can manage it on a daily basis.

Step-by-step Procedure There are four primary tasks in Step 9. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Select a holding area. 2. Create guidelines for operation. 3. Select a holding area manager. 4. Visually control the holding area. Task 1: Select a Holding Area The point of the holding area is to remove items from the target area—to get them out of the way. For this reason, the holding area should be outside of the target area. On the other hand, it should be near enough to the target area to be convenient. If the holding area is too far away, people will be less inclined to use it. The best place for a local holding area is on the border of the target area. Figure 3-6 is a photo of an office holding area from a bio-tech company in California, which chose to locate its holding area in the corner of a storage room next to the main office. As the

Figure 3-6. Picture of an Office Holding Area

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photo illustrates, the holding area has been utilized as a temporary repository for all types of unneeded items, from old computer terminals to shelves, storage units, and tables. Remember that items stored in the holding area will be there only temporarily. Any empty office or room that is currently not being used for other activities is a perfect location for a holding area. If the room or office is later needed for some other purpose, the holding area can be relocated. Some companies even designate an unused corner of the office to store things temporarily. The important thing is to remove all unnecessary items from the work area, even those things that might become necessary at some time in the future. If such items are later needed, they can easily be reclaimed and brought back. Task 2: Create Guidelines for Operation You do not want the holding area to become a big junk pile. Some valuable supplies and equipment may land in this area, so you want to ensure that they will be handled conscientiously and efficiently. Guidelines for effective holding area management begin with tracking items that are sorted from the target area. A common practice is for the holding area manager to use a disposition log or unneeded items log (see Figure 3-7) to track everything that has come into the holding area. Tracking items sorted out of the target area objectively measures improvement, and some guidelines for making the log effective are presented below. • Post the log in the local holding area. • Make sure that anyone who sorts an item from the workplace and places it in the holding area enters the item description, quantity, date, and reason for removal into the log. (Note: this is the same information that is listed on a red tag, so if a red-tag system is in place, there is no reason to duplicate the information in the log.) • If anyone takes something from the holding area (whether to throw it away or to return it to the work area), this information must be entered in the log’s Notes/Disposition section. • Request that the holding area manager keep track of the log and log entries (this is usually the person who fills out the Notes/Disposition section). Task 3: Select a Holding Area Manager One of the biggest mistakes made by Office 5S teams is to forget to assign a holding area manager. Someone must be in charge, or the entire sorting activity will deteriorate. This may be a big job at the onset of the project because there may be a lot to sort through. Once the process is in place, monitoring what occurs should take no more than fifteen minutes a week. The responsibilities of the holding area manager are straightforward: • Manage all incoming items on a regular basis. • Categorize and log each item. • Decide what to do with each item and get it done. • Report to appropriate people, such as the office manager, department manager, or purchasing manager.

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Office 5S Unneeded Items Log Target Area: Purpose:

To monitor and control disposition of red-tagged items

Directions:

1. When an item enters the red tag holding area, the person who brings it in, or the holding area manager, enters the appropriate information in columns 1–4. 2. Any action on the item is noted in column 5.

1. Item

2. Quantity

3. Date

4. Reason

5. Notes, Disposition

Keyboard

1

10/2/06

Broken

Send to IT to fix?

Paper Cutter

1

10/2/06

Not Used

Sell to staff—$2.00

Hand Calculators

4

10/2/06

Not Used

Central storage

Figure 3-7. Office 5S Unneeded Items Log

Task 4: Visually Control the Holding Area. Throughout the day many people may use a holding area. A few guidelines for making this area easy to use follow (also see Figure 3-8): • Clearly mark the location of the holding area. • Make sure the rules for using the holding area are clearly posted and obvious. • After you visually control the holding area, ask someone from another part of the office who has no idea what you are doing if they understand how to use it. If there is any confusion, you need to redesign it.

Red Tag Holding Area For Front Office and Bookkeeping Holding Area Manager:

John Silva. Extension 212

What to Put Here:

ALL unnecessary or out-of-place items, regardless of where you find them

When to Put It Here:

Whenever you find items, or during Five Minute 5S

How:

1. Complete a red tag, and 2. Attach to the item, OR 3. For small items put in red tag box

When Area Will Be Cleared:

Every Friday afternoon at 4:00 PM

Figure 3-8. Example of Holding Area Instructions

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• Briefly explain the purpose of the holding area to everyone who will be using it. The best way to do this is to bring everyone involved to the holding area, show them the layout, and stage a demonstration that clearly shows what needs to be done and how. Correct any misconceptions, answer any questions, and address any concerns at this time.

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 9 Remember: Holding is temporary. The most important thing to emphasize about holding areas is that they are temporary. Make sure items are removed from local holding areas weekly and that items are removed from central holding areas every two weeks. Don’t hide the holding area. Temporary holding areas are not attractive, but that’s a good thing. If they were, there would be less motivation to get rid of the items. A case in point is the company that hid their holding area in a storage room so that no one could see it. This made it easy for everyone to forget to get rid of things. Everyone, including the office manager, grew lax about item disposition; “out of sight, out of mind” became standard operating procedure. Finally, when things really got out of hand, the team came up with a remedy. It moved the location of the holding area to a corner space 10 feet from the office manager’s office. When forced to look constantly at old typewriters, 10-year-old files, broken chairs, ugly desks, and samples of products no longer made by that company, the manager could not believe “what a dump we have.” And disposition of items began to occur daily. Make the rules obvious. The criteria for disposition of items should be posted in the holding area. Moreover, they should be easy to read and posted in a conspicuous spot so that they are not ignored or forgotten. Keep in mind that someone must be in charge. One of the biggest mistakes made by Office 5S teams is to forget to assign a holding area manager. If you don’t, there is no direction and the entire sorting activity will deteriorate. The person assigned must clearly understand his or her role as holding area manager. The position becomes part of that person’s job responsibilities.

Step 10: Start Sorting—Executive Summary

Purpose: To remove unneeded items from the target area Who Does It: The core implementation team, with help from anyone who works in the target area Time Frame: Approximately one to two weeks for an individual target area of about 1,000 square feet. File storage areas may take longer. Note: A typical office cubicle is about 120 square feet, not including 30 square feet of aisle way. Many small offices (work areas for two to three people) are approximately 400 square feet, including walking space and storage space. So we are probably talking about office space for about six or seven people. Procedure: 1. Prepare red tags, forms, and holding areas. 2. Review criteria for Sort. 3. Attach red tags to unnecessary items. 4. Remove unnecessary items to a temporary holding area. 5. Evaluate red-tagged items and decide the outcome. 6. Dispose of items. Worksheets and Forms: Application checklist for Sorting (refer back to Figure 3-1); unneeded items log (refer back to Figure 3-7); item disposition list (refer back to Figure 3-4); red tags (refer back to Figure 3-3) Starter Tips: 1. Make it easy for people to red-tagged items. Trying to figure out something while trying to do your job is negative motivation! 2. Evaluate everything as suspect, regardless of how large it is or how long it has been there. 3. Keep in mind that drawers are the enemy. Things are always hidden in drawers. 4. Don’t underestimate the power of “sort remorse.”

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Purpose of Sorting Applying the Sort phase to the office means that you will • Look at every item in the target area • Separate the items that are unnecessary or in the wrong place • Remove those items from the work area. Removing unnecessary items includes reducing the number of items to the quantity required at any given time. There are always far too many pens, pencils, rubber bands, and markers in offices. Most offices also have too much paper, too many binders, and too many books. When you perform this step, sorting becomes much more than a clean up-activity. In fact, it becomes a tool for completely reinventing your office.

Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for applying Sort. However, people who work in the target area should participate. Not everyone can or should be a formal team member, but building ownership is crucial, so everyone who works in an area should participate in implementation. A soft-drink bottling company in New England, for example, relied on its core implementation team to create standards and organize implementation schedules. However, when it came to making decisions about what was needed in specific target areas, it deferred to the people who worked there. This is a good policy to emulate. Because the people working in the target area will be affected by changes, they should have some say about what gets changed.

Step-by-step Procedure There are six primary tasks in Step 10. Each task is discussed in detail in the following sections. 1. Prepare red tags, forms, and holding areas. 2. Review criteria for Sorting. 3. Attach red tags to unnecessary items. 4. Remove unnecessary items to a temporary holding area. 5. Evaluate red-tagged items and decide the outcome. 6. Dispose of items.

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Task 1: Prepare Red Tags, Forms, and Holding Areas Before you begin, make sure you are ready to perform the Sort function. Gather all forms, red tags, and checklists, and verify that the holding area is ready for use. Consider using the following list: • Written criteria is established and in writing. • Red tags are ready to use. • The sort inspection sheet is ready to use. • The sort disposition vhecklist is ready to use. • The unneeded items log is ready to use. • The holding area is ready to use. • A holding area manager has been assigned. Task 2: Review Criteria for Sort Everyone should use the same sorting guidelines that you developed in Step 8. Review them now. It is likely that some of the people who will be participating in the sorting process are not well versed in 5S activities. This may require a review of the 5S for the Office goals and the purpose of Sort. You will also want to review the guidelines for sorting with your people. Task 3: Attach Red Tags to Unnecessary Items Walk through the target area and identify unnecessary items. Look at floors, aisles, stairs, pillars, and corners. Also look behind and beneath desks, on shelves, in closets, and in cabinets. Fill out a red tag for each of these items and attach the tag directly to the item so that it is visible from a distance. If you are not certain about the need for any item, red tag it! A final decision about this item’s disposition can be made later. An alternative to red-tagging. Some items may be too small to red tag, and it may be wiser to just remove them. Pens, pencils, rulers, and many other small items are often nothing more than clutter. Obviously, red tagging each of these items individually is not very practical. A better way to handle this type of clutter is with a red tag box, which is simply a box with a red tag attached to it (see Figure 3-9). By going through all drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc., with a red tag box at your side, you can easily collect all unnecessary small items in your target area. The entire box can then be taken to the holding area. Task 4: Remove Unnecessary Items to a Temporary Holding Area Removing tagged items to a temporary holding area frees the target area of clutter and temporarily stores the tagged items until their final disposition can be determined. Furniture or equipment may have to stay in place until you can permanently remove them. Also, remember that the decision to permanently remove excess supplies may need to involve people other than team members.

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Figure 3-9. Example of a Red Tag Box

Task 5: Evaluate Red-tagged Items and Decide the Outcome Remember that the holding area is for temporary storage only. Use the item disposition list prepared in Step 8 (see Figure 3-4) to help decide where to relocate items, whether to recycle them, or how to otherwise dispose of them. For example, many items are still usable, even if they are no longer needed by the company. Many companies choose to give these to employees or to donate them to some charity. Other items, like financial records, should be saved for seven years, but not in the immediate work area. Remote storage is more appropriate for these items. At times, other office areas can use items no longer needed in your target area. Task 6: Dispose of Items Finally, move items to the appropriate locations. Use the unneeded items log prepared in Step 9 (see Figure 3-7) to keep a record of what is done with these items. Because the unneeded items log is a tool that the holding area manager uses to track sorting activities, this will also be useful for your measurement activities.

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 10 Crack the 5S Riddle. Why is removing unneeded things the first of the Office 5S? Because the second and third Ss, Set in Order and Clean, would be wasteful if you were to arrange and clean things that you didn’t need and would later discard. Stay focused. As you sort, you will be inclined to think about where to store things and how to redesign the office. Don’t do it! It will only slow you down. Where things should go and office redesign are part of the second S, Set in Order. For now, concentrate on completing only the first S. Evaluate everything as suspect. Question the need for every item, including large furniture, equipment, doors, walls, as well as things on walls and hanging from ceilings. It doesn’t matter how long something has been in the office. When in doubt, move it out! Keep in mind that drawers are the enemy. Always look in drawers first. You will always find things hidden in drawers that don’t belong there, or anywhere else in the work area (see Figures 3-10 and 3-11). In fact, the fewer drawers there are in the office, the fewer unneeded items there will be.

Figure 3-10. Before SORT Picture of Drawer

Step 10: Start Sorting—Executive Summary

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 10, continued

Figure 3-11. After SORT Picture of Drawer

Recognize that “All” must sort. It is not easy to get rid of things, and you can never underestimate the power of “sort remorse.” Most people are reluctant to part with things, even if those things have long outlived their usefulness. (Think of the baseball cards or dolls or other items you have disposed of and then regretted doing so?) In a work environment, however, sorting is essential. In the long run, it will reduce stress and make working easier and more comfortable. Remember that you and your team have goals and measures to meet. Sorting is a tool that facilitates doing so. Remember the purpose of Sort. The purpose of Sort is to eliminate waste. Any item not needed in the area wastes space and time and money.

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Chapter 4: Set Things in Order and Set Limits OVERVIEW Chapter 3 covered the sorting phase of solving office productivity problems: planning how to sort furniture, equipment, and supplies; preparing a holding area for the sorted items; and then starting the sorting process. This chapter will help you organize the remaining critical items, which 5S calls Set in Order. Step 11: Map the Current State of the Target Area Step 12: Develop a Set-in-Order Plan Step 13: Apply the Set-in-Order Process

Step 11: Map the Current State of the Target Area—Executive Summary Purpose: To see where everything is located in the target area, to observe how work flows, and to locate bottlenecks Who Does It: The core implementation team Time Frame: Approximately one to two hours Procedure: 1. Identify the area to map. 2. Outline the shape of the target area. 3. Draw in the large items (for example, furniture). 4. Draw the smaller items (for example, equipment). 5. Draw where people work in this area. 6. Show the flow of walking, transportation, conveyance, etc. 7. Label all significant items (desks, tables, equipment, bookshelves, etc.). 8. Show problems and facts with yellow cards. Worksheets and Forms: Area map and arrow diagram worksheet (see Figure 4-8); yellow card technique (see Figure 4-7) Starter Tips: 1. Keep in mind that if your target area is small, you may not need a map. 2. Map the target area during work hours, while work is happening, so that you have accurate real-time data. 3. Remember that there is always a balance between too much and too little information. You need a fair amount but not so much that you can’t easily read the map.

Purpose of Mapping the Current State of the Target Area The purpose of mapping is to give the team accurate real-time data about the physical set up of the target area and the way that the work flows within that physical set up. The team will be able to locate bottlenecks and problems by seeing that data on a map. In turn, this “seeing” will lead to ideas for improvement. For example, one company saw the excessive amount of walking that having a shared printer created among five workers in a bookkeeping department. After seeing the problem, the company decided to invest in small desktop printers for each person. In the next step, Step 12, the team will use this map to consider Set-in-Order strategies and create a plan for improvement. In Step 13, the team will implement that plan. 91

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Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for the creation of the area map and arrow diagram. The team will observe the work in the target area, draw the map, and interview anyone who is not on the team to gain a complete understanding of how the physical space is currently being utilized.

Step-by-step Procedure There are eight primary tasks in Step 11. Each task is discussed in detail in the following sections. 1. Identify the area to map. 2. Outline the shape of the target area. 3. Draw in the large items (e.g., furniture). 4. Draw the smaller items (e.g., equipment). 5. Draw where people work in the target area. 6. Show the flow of walking, transportation, conveyance, etc. 7. Label all significant items (desks, tables, equipment, bookshelves, etc.) 8. Show problems and facts with yellow cards. Task 1: Identify the Area to Map Begin with a blank piece of paper (about 24 by 36 inches). Determine the area you want to map and enter it on the top of the paper. Usually the area to map is the same as the target area. If your target area is 1,000 square feet or less, you should have no problem in creating a map for the entire area. The point of the 1,000-square-foot limit is that the layout of a larger space will be difficult to translate into map form. For example, a 600-square-foot production office contained by four walls lends itself to mapping. In an “open” office, you may have to define artificial boundaries based on certain similar activities (e.g., where all six customer service agents have desks, files, and bookcases). Always include walkways as part of your map. If you feel that the target area is too large for you to map details adequately, you can segment the target area into smaller sections and create several maps. Task 2: Outline the Shape of the Target Area The first thing to do is outline the shape of the target area on the sheet. Include any doorways or walkways and use a dotted line to show the range of motion of doors. Figure 4-1 shows simple ways to do this. It does not require any artistic talent because you are just roughing out a diagram of the area. Task 3: Draw in the Large Items Draw in the larger pieces of furniture and office equipment roughly to scale and label them. It is best to draw the outside boundaries of each piece of equipment first. Figure 4-2 shows simple ways to outline these—again, no artistic talent is necessary because these items can be represented as simple geometric shapes.

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The way to show a doorway is:

The dotted line icon for range of motion of doors is:

The way to show an aisle is:

Figure 4-1. Icons for Shapes on an Area Map

A desk might look like this:

Customer Service Supervisor Desk

Figure 4-2. Example of Icon for Large Item on an Area Map

Task 4: Draw the Smaller Items Draw in smaller items such as chairs, small furniture, small filing cabinets, wastepaper baskets, and small equipment. Also draw in things that may not seem to belong, such as boxes, piles of books, etc. (See Figure 4-3.) These items are as much a part of the fabric of the office as a desk or a chair. For example, one customer service team at a publishing company originally thought that the five boxes of catalogues that would eventually be shipped should not appear on the map because they would be mailed within two months. The same principle was used for two boxes of files that would eventually be sent to central storage and for a vacuum cleaner that just happened to be leaning against the wall. The team later discovered that omitting these items made their map inaccurate and interfered with post-mapping activities. The take-home message here is Map everything that currently exists.

Chair

Customer Service Supervisor Desk

Chair

Figure 4-3. Example of Drawing Small Items on Area Map

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Task 5: Draw Where People Work in This Area Draw people where they work. Simple stick drawings will suffice, the simpler the better (see Figure 4-4).

You can use a figure like this to represent a person:

Figure 4-4. Example of a Person Icon on an Area Map

Task 6: Show the Flow of Walking, Transportation, and Conveyance Show the direction of walking and transportation of items with arrows. If possible, indicate distance and type of device used to move something (see Figure 4-5). This is where the science of mapping is really put to the test, because we are often not aware of how much walking we really perform. Observe and pay close attention to the walking and “moving around” in the target area. Don’t just map the valuable work-related movements (such as delivering finished documents, delivering mail, walking to and from meetings, posting documents, etc.). Map all movement by everyone. Include casual visits with others, visits to the restroom, delivery of supplies, searching for supplies, travels to the copying machine—all travel by everyone, regardless of whether they officially work in the target area on not. The map should show pathways that are used and a sense of frequency.

Chair

Customer Service Supervisor Desk

Mail and file delivery

Chair

Figure 4-5. Example of Arrow Diagram on Area Map. Note: The arrows show walking activity and mail delivery in the target area

Task 7: Label All Significant Items If you haven’t done so already, label all other significant items. This includes boxes, shelves, and piles of things. Do not leave out things you think will not be there tomorrow. Remember that you are mapping what is here now.

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Figure 4-6. Example of an Office Area Map

Figure 4-6 is a good example of an office area map and arrow diagram. You can see why it is sometimes referred to as a spaghetti diagram. It shows a map of two offices in a customer service department. The office to the right has two customer service representatives, a copy machine, and a mail/shipping/receiving desk. The office to the left is the manager’s office, but there is also an order-entry person and central files for all customers. A few things stand out about this map: • There is not only a lot of walking by customer service people but also by people who come into the office to use the copy machine. • “Outside” people also enter the office to use the mail/shipping/receiving desk. • There is a tremendous amount of walking into the manager’s office by the customer service representatives to retrieve and return files. • There is a lot of unused space in the center of both offices. Even a casual glance would show that there is poor flow, interruptions by “outside” people, and that some major items such as central files and the mail table should be relocated. Perhaps a major layout change should take place. The point of the map is that it allows you to “see” these issues. Task 8: Show Problems and Facts With Yellow Cards After you draw the basic area map and arrow diagram, show the location of problems and significant facts on yellow cards. Figure 4-7 shows an example from the customer service operation described above.

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In this case, Alice, who performs order entry, is responsible for stocking supplies. Everything relies on Alice being attentive and knowing what to do. If she is sick, or too busy, the job doesn’t get done. The office will “go into a tizzy” if it runs out of paper. Alice usually does a good job, but there are no guidelines or standards for quantity or reordering. In fact, people in the office have a favorite refrain for this: “Go ask Alice, I think she’ll know.” This situation begs for improvement. Use the yellow card at each specific location. Write exactly what you see and add any other helpful information, statistics, and input from target area workers. You can even post photographs. Shelves Next to Copy Machine Re: Paper—Reordered when Alice thinks that it’s time – 40 reams of 8.5″ 3 11″ white – 10 reams of 8.5″ 3 11″ light blue – 20 reams legal size white – New paper always stacked on top of oldest – Difficult to clean behind—pens, pencils, etc. (who knows what else) has fallen behind Equipment—Not organized in any way – Paper cutter – 3 staplers—1 large, 2 small – 2 hole punchers – 3 tape dispensers – 1 pencil sharpener – 1 phone, 1 fax When was the last time these shelves were cleaned? Figure 4-7. Example of a Yellow Card

Step 11 consists of several interrelated activities that combine verbal and visual tools. Figure 4-8 provides an area map and arrow diagram worksheet that show how the individual tasks create a “big picture” with many useful details. It can also be used to check whether anything is incomplete or needs refining.

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Area Map and Arrow Diagram Worksheet Purpose:

To study target area conditions and decide which Set-In-Order and Standardization strategies will apply to the target area and to create a plan for application

Directions: 1. A diagram can be created for the entire area, or for a specific target area. Use a large sheet of paper (flip chart sheet or 11″ 3 17″) or a white board. 2. First, determine the area you will map and enter it on the map. 3. Begin by drawing the area map, which will show the position of all items, groups of items, and workplaces in the area. 4. Outline the shape of the area on the sheet. Include any doorways or aisle ways and use a dotted line . . . to show the range of motion of doors. 5. Draw in the larger pieces of equipment and furniture, roughly to scale, and label them. You can use Post-it® notes if you want. It is best to draw the outside boundaries of all pieces before adding details. 6. Now draw the smaller pieces of equipment, workplaces, furniture, etc. Again, you can use sticky notes. 7. Draw where people perform work by drawing person icons. Label them. 8. Use common symbols to show the location of items and the sequence in which work flows. For example: a. For Processing—Desk, or

b. Large Circle (Labeled)

Sort Mail

c. For Inspection—Diamond

d. Conveyance/Transportation of—Cart on Wheels

e. Retention/Storage—Triangle

s

f. Temporary Storage—Triangle with T.

s T

9. At all conveyance and transportation points, indicate distance and type of device used (i.e., cart, fork lift, carry by hand). At all retention points, indicate tools retained, numbers, etc. 10. Be creative and try to convey information. At the same time, don’t put too much information onto the map. Remember, it has to show the flow. 11. You can show the location of storage, supplies, and other items by using yellow card technique. Show the quantity, how often used, how stored, etc. Figure 4-8. Area Map and Arrow Diagram Worksheet

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 11 Consider whether you really need a map. If your target area is only a desk or small workstation, then you may not need a map. However, target areas with different kinds of furniture, equipment, and other items—and various people coming and going—will definitely require mapping. The shipping counter for small items at a supplier to the aerospace industry in North Carolina did not require a map. It was 15 feet long and 4 feet deep, with shelves underneath. There was a three-foot walkway in front. Mapping wasn’t required to see the flow. Conversely, that same company had a quality office that was 30 feet long and 20 feet wide (600 square feet) with a gauge storage room attached to it (12 feet by 15 feet). In addition to four quality technicians, operators and shipping personnel also used this space. It was cluttered and full of equipment, had three doorways, and was always in use. This was a space that benefited from careful mapping. The map revealed a host of problems that would otherwise have gone unnoticed and helped the team redesign the area for better efficiency. Gather data when work is happening. The goal is to gather accurate, real-time data related to the use and storage of all items in the office. Map the target area while work is in process so that you can see how things really look. You don’t want the idealized “look”—you want to see the problems and bottlenecks. Look for a balance. There is always a balance between too much and too little information. Be creative, be selective. One team mapped electrical outlets, computer wires, and even small items on desks. The map became so cluttered it was useless. The team had to remove much of the detail before they could see a flow. You will need the map and diagram for the next step, so try to make them as accurate and easy to read as possible. Go slowly and note improvement ideas as they occur to you (and they will). Write them down. For example, if you have an idea about moving a desk to a better location, write it down. If you notice too much walking and can think of a better office design, draw a quick diagram. You will formalize these ideas in later steps, but always capture what you think, when you think it.

Step 12: Develop a Set-in-Order Plan— Executive Summary Purpose: To decide which Set-in-Order strategies will apply to the target area and to create a plan to apply those strategies Who Does It: The core implementation team Time Frame: One day, in conjunction with Step 11 Procedure: 1. Consider possible Set-in-Order strategies. 2. Brainstorm ideas with blue cards. 3. Draw a future state map (for what the target area should look like) and create a plan. Worksheets and Forms: Blue card technique (see Figure 4-12); area map and arrow diagram (Refer back to Figure 4-6. Current state was created in Step 11; in this step you will create a future state plan.) Starter Tips: 1. Understand the concept of process flow and how it relates to Set in Order. 2. If the target area is small enough, as with desktops, go directly to the rapid-fire strategy. An elaborate plan will just waste time. 3. Plan before doing, or you will waste time and energy. 4. Use a future state map, which avoids trying to implement plans that don’t work. It prevents trying to put the proverbial square peg in a round hole. 5. Ensure that your plan makes it easier to see, get, and return items. Visual controls play an important role. 6. Do not use shelves and drawers to store empty space. Avoid storing items in piles, which makes it difficult to find what you need.

Purpose of a Set-in-Order Plan The purpose of a Set-in-Order plan is for your team to understand and be ready to apply strategies for Orderliness. Orderliness can be defined as “arranging all needed items so that they are easy to use and making their storage sites easily understood by anyone.” The key words in this definition are “all” and “anyone.” The Sort phase in an office helps you eliminate unneeded items. Set in Order helps you deal with the remaining items. Each of these remaining items must be arranged so that it

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will help the workflow. Each item must also be positioned so that anyone, whether they work in the area or not, can easily see where it belongs. For example, where should incoming mail or files be placed? Where does a three-hole punch belong? Where can you find envelopes? In a conference room, where should the LCD projector be stored and how easy will it be to find when you need it? All of these problems should be resolved “at a glance.” Orderliness reduces searching waste, walking waste, waste from difficulty in using things, and waste due to difficulty in returning things. An orderly environment is also a more pleasant place to work. If everything is where you need it, if your work area is uncluttered, and if you never have to search for things, then work will be much more enjoyable. Set in Order requires moving many items. Some of them, such as desks, filing cabinets, tables, and office equipment, may be quite large. If you have a plan, you can move these things quickly and easily. If you don’t have a plan, you may find yourself trying to put a square peg into a round hole (or a 72-inch desk into a 69-inch space). This really happened in the front office of a plastics molding company. The secretary’s desk was a large wooden thing (72 inches long, 48 inches wide). The office manager spotted a perfect corner for the desk. It would get it out of the entry way and create flow and more space for copy machine use, etc. He got two maintenance workers to come in and move it into the designated space. They tried and tried, but there was no way to get the 72-inch desk into a 69-inch space. The moral of the story? Measure and plan first; move later. After you review the strategies for Set in Order, you will see that some apply and some don’t. But with a little planning, a lot of time and money can be saved.

Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for the Set-in-Order plan. However, the team should get buy-in from workers in the target area and approval from the project champion or office manager. This is to ensure that any budgetary items are approved and that overall company policies are adhered to.

Step-by-step Procedure There are three primary tasks in Step 12. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Consider possible Set-in-Order strategies. 2. Brainstorm ideas with blue cards. 3. Draw a future state map and create a plan. Task 1: Consider Possible Set-in-Order Strategies The guiding principle for Set in Order is, “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” All strategies for Set in Order relate to that one guiding principle. To expand on that principle, the strategies for Set in Order are designed to find the best place for every

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item in the office, make them easy to find and use, make them easy to replace, and keep them there until they are to be used again. General Strategy Visual Controls

Process Flow Design

Set-in-Order Strategies Office on Wheels

Rapid-fire Order

Elimination of Doors & Drawers

Supermarket System

Figure 4-9. Strategies for Orderliness

Figure 4-9 shows a diagram of potential strategies, each of which is discussed in detail below. The strategies, though somewhat overlapping, can be categorized this way: 1. Develop general strategies for orderliness. 2. Design the work area based on process flow. 3. Establish “rapid-fire order” for workstations. 4. Use a “supermarket system” for supplies. 5. Eliminate doors and drawers. 6. Set up an office on wheels. 7. Make visual displays and controls (for example, simple location indicators such as lines on the floors, walls, desks, shelves, etc.; labels; and signboards). Develop General Strategies for Orderliness Regardless of the specific strategies that you implement in the office, it is important that you understand the principles behind what you want to accomplish. Then you can be creative and innovative. Here are the basic principles you should follow: 1. Focus on improving flow. Remember that Office 5S is based on improving work flow and that work flow bases its efficiency on a certain rhythm or process of work. The old saying “work smarter, not harder” applies here. You need to find the best flow or rhythm and design the office to fit that flow. Just as a metronome keeps a musical rhythm, this design maintains the work rhythm. Flow determines how fast a process must run to meet customer demand or other work. You must keep this rhythm of work flowing throughout the day to ensure that you can deliver what your customer has requested. The office must be designed to support the flow. If the design slows down the flow, a flood will occur, and that will cause secondary problems. In your design, think of ways to keep the work moving

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and flowing smoothly. The following are some flow problems you can expect to find in offices where orderliness is not implemented thoroughly. • The receptionist receives phone orders. Customer service workers, who must fill the orders, have to walk across the office to pick up the orders, a task they may perform once or twice a day and sometimes forget to do. • The manager has the only key to the locked supplies cabinet containing needed supplies, but he is out sick. • Some customer files are unlabeled, and no one knows where they are, but the customer is on the line wanting to change his order. • It’s time to change the cartridge in the printer; while several people wait, someone goes looking for a new one. The fewer the better. One principle to strive for is the fewer pieces of furniture, equipment, or other items located in the area, the easier it will be to keep order. Make it easy to locate and get the item. An ordered, visually controlled area makes things easy to locate. Making an item close at hand, easy to reach, and in the same order as the process are just a few ways to make something easy to get. Another way is to keep light items on upper shelves and heavy items on lower shelves. Make it easy to know where the item belongs after use. Again, a well-ordered, visually controlled area is the only way this will happen. Make it easy to put away items. The same principles that applied to making it easy to get an item apply here as well. Do not use shelves and drawers to store empty space. Put taller items on taller shelves and shorter ones on shorter shelves to maximize use of available space. Likewise, make optimum use of available space in drawers and other containers. Otherwise, get rid of them! Apply the “wide and shallow storage” principle. Have only one row of items. This practice eliminates having to remove the front row to reach back row items. Avoid storing items in piles. When items are stored in a pile, it becomes difficult to retrieve the one you need. Items on the bottom tend to stay there and will deteriorate or be damaged. Rather than stacking items on top of each other, use shelves and aisles to organize for better access. Avoid placing heavy items directly on the floor. Use stands or carts to hold heavy items. This reduces physical stress when lifting and moving heavier items.

Design Based on Process Flow Because office activities can be best understood as networks of processes and operations, it is a good idea to review the difference between a process and an operation. An operation is an action or group of actions that accomplish one thing. For example, typing a letter on a computer is an operation. Printing that letter is another operation. Folding a letter, sliding it in an envelope, sealing the envelope, stamping it, and placing it in the “OUT” box, which requires five actions, is also an operation.

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A process is a continuous flow, or sequence, by which a customer is served or a job is completed. A process can consist of many operations. For example, a simplified customer service process at one company followed this sequence of operations: 1. Receive phone order. 2. Enter phone order into computer. 3. Print out order hard copy. 4. Pull customer file. 5. Check customer financial status and check pricing and billing terms. 6. Bring file to production office, put in “IN” box. 7. Pull production and tooling files. 8. Check for tooling and machine program updates, make changes in program. 9. Schedule production. 10. Send information to materials office. 11. Send information to quality office. The individual operations of a process are usually performed at different places in the office, which often requires a great deal of waiting, walking, searching, and just plain wasted time. A process that could take 10 minutes may often take 8 hours. Design based on process flow is the answer. By combining operations into a flow, you can save a great deal of time. This can be done in simple and profound ways. A simple example might be to organize a mailing operation in the flow in which it occurs. In the case of the example used above, the operations occurred in different parts of the office, and the various tools and supplies were spread around the office and difficult to find. Packaging of boxes and large envelopes occurred at a different counter from where the weight scale was located. Pick-up was at a third location. Supplies were stored in three different locations, depending on the type of supply. By consolidating all activities (including storage) and organizing the design into a process flow, the company reduced the time it took to send a UPS package from an average of 12 minutes to less than 5 minutes. A more complex example might be to reorganize a department into teams or “cells.” Figure 4-10 shows how a customer service department in a large aerospace parts manufacturer accomplished this when it created customer-based teams, centralized work files in circular files and customer orders that each team member could access, and U-shaped design to minimize walking and maximize communication. Each team is now completely responsible for a major customer or group of customers. The teams receive and translate orders (for material and tooling issues), take care of customer questions and needs, store files, and send orders to the production office in a fraction of the time it used to take. As one worker said, “This system allows us to do more work, in less time, with less strain.” When you rearrange your office based on flow, you eliminate the waste of walking, waiting, searching, and storage. These are all the wastes that pile up as people move between

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Figure 4-10. Example of Cell Design in an Office

the operations they perform during the day. Reordering to eliminate waste makes work easier and more efficient. It also makes the office a less hectic place to work. Establish “Rapid-fire Order” at Your Desk A complete 5S process may not make sense if you are considering only one desk as a target area. In fact, it may be a waste of time. For a desk, or other specific workstations like mail stops or copying machines, the “rapid-fire order” strategy is a better alternative. In a way, rapid-fire order is a mini-5S within Office 5S. Here’s how rapid-fire order works at a desk: 1. Remove everything from the desk. 2. Clean the desk, computers, etc., inside and out. 3. Separate items that you will return to the desk. 4. Group all items (files, books, machines, etc.) into logical categories. 5. Return only items you will need. 6. Position items in “knowing by heart” locations. 7. Make items easy to find and put away through visual controls. 8. Try to reduce desk items to level of “just let go.” 9. See if you can eliminate the need for items. A few additional comments should be made about rapid-fire order. Remove everything means remove everything. Completely shut down your computers, monitor, printers, and

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fax machines and remove them. Then you can clean the desk and behind the desk as well as the equipment. You will be shocked at how dirty things are. When you decide what you will return to the desk, be very picky. Look at every piece of paper. Consider every pen. How many pens do you really need? Grouping items depends on the work you do. For files, you have to ask whether they should be arranged by customer, product, date, or in some other way. How do you use your books? Everything should be grouped based on how it is used. Remember, you want to eliminate waste of time. When you return items to the desk, position them in such a way that you will know exactly where they will be, “by heart.” This is especially true of the things that you use daily. For example, do you know where your stapler is or where your pencil sharpener is? Then do a test. Close your eyes, and have a coworker call out various items. See if you really know where they are. Next, make items easy to find and put away through visual controls. This includes drawers (see Figure 4-11 for what a drawer should look like in an organized desk), shelves, and cabinets. More is presented on this in Step 13 (later in this chapter) and Step 17 (in Chapter 6).

Figure 4-11. Example of Visually Controlled Drawer

A good example of trying to bring the desk to the level of “just let go” is using earphones for telephones. When the phone rings, you no longer have to pick up the receiver and hold it while you are talking. You already have it on your head. And that frees you up to type while you talk. It may also free up space on your desk.

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Examples of eliminating the need for items might be choosing pens with several different colors or using email to eliminate the need for so much paper. Nearly every computer has software with a built-in calculator, making a separate desk calculator redundant. For a small investment, you can buy one machine that combines the function of many office machines. Use the Supermarket System for Supplies Have you ever gone behind the scenes into the storage area of a really good supermarket? If it’s a well-run supermarket, the answer would be “no”—good supermarkets don’t have storage. Every product is brought directly from receiving to the shelves where it is available to the customer. No costly storage. No large storage areas. No waiting. The product is always fresh. The supermarket system has two more brilliant features. The first is called a “pull” system and the second is called “first in, first out” (FIFO). Whenever a new order is placed for a product, only the amount purchased, or “pulled” off the shelf, is reordered. In that way, the maximum standard is never exceeded. By studying purchasing patterns and making seasonal adjustments, management will have a good idea of how much to keep on the shelf at any given time. FIFO is a crucial supermarket practice because products have to stay fresh. One of the best demonstrations of FIFO is in the dairy section of a supermarket. Facing the customer is a downward tilted shelf with milk cartons. The cartons are stacked from the back by supermarket workers and are delivered several times each day. The first to be delivered are the first to be stacked and the first to be purchased by the customer. FIFO makes it automatic. The supermarket system has a tremendous potential to save thousands of dollars in supplies and hundreds of hours of walk and wait time when supplies are localized. Here’s how it works. 1. Each team, cell, or small department manages and stores its own supplies. 2. Each individual keeps only an immediate supply need at his or her desk. 3. The cell supply storage is easily accessible, in the same way a supermarket is. 4. The cell supply storage holds enough for only one week. 5. Reorder occurs weekly. This can be coordinated throughout the office so that better prices can be obtained. By having teams take control and ownership of their supplies, you will find that they will use them more carefully. This will result in lower supply costs and less storage. Another side benefit of the supermarket system is that it frees up a great deal of space in your office. Wasted space can become useful space or room to grow. Eliminate Drawers and Doors This may seem like a radical idea, but it is based on simple logic. Any time you can’t see something, you can’t keep track of it. You either waste time looking for it or waste money ordering a replacement. If it is hidden long enough, it may simply become unusable.

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It is better to eliminate the source of the problem entirely. Supplies you use every day, for example, don’t need to be stored in desk drawers. They can be just as easily be stored on a desktop organizer, making them easier to locate, return, track, and reorder. Keeping them in sight will also motivate you to keep them neatly organized. Of course, we all know what to do with the item we don’t know what to do with. Stuff it in a drawer! But if there is no drawer available, the item has to be dealt with. Just think how many unneeded items could be removed from your work area if there was no convenient place to hide them. So do you really need those doors and drawers? Set Up an Office on Wheels Many office workers have to walk to get files, books, information, or programs because most office designs don’t allow storing these things at the worksite. In one office, a worker had to walk 25 feet to the customer file cabinet to get customer files for several orders and then walk an additional 15 feet to retrieve the production programs that applied to those orders. If a customer called to change the order in midstream, the worker had to go back and find a different production program. If a second customer called to request changes, the worker sometimes needed a different production program or file and had to walk again. This wasted 50 to 80 minutes per day—nearly every day! The office resolved this problem in two ways. One solution was to assign customers to workers by alphabetical order. The second solution was a file cabinet cart on wheels (see the example shown in Figure 4-12). The worker discussed in the previous paragraph was given all the A to E customers. All customer records and production programs for the A to E customers were put into the cart on wheels, which the worker could bring to her desk as needed.

Figure 4-12. Example of Office Cart on Wheels

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With these changes, the worker discovered that she was able to eliminate more than 90 minutes of wasted time during a typical workday. The original estimate for wasted time was 50 to 80 minutes, but the new set up revealed hidden wastes and made the process even more efficient than anticipated. Make Visual Displays and Controls Set in Order uses three simple visual techniques known as location indicators that make it clear where items belong and when they should be put away. These indicators are lines, labels, and signboards. Because these location indicators cannot be properly applied until after everything is moved to appropriate locations, a full discussion of this concept is provided in Step 13 (later in this chapter). You do not have to include location indicators in your initial Setin-Order plan. Task 2: Brainstorm Ideas With Blue Cards For this task, you need to return to the map that you created in Step 11 (refer back to Figures 4-5 and 4-6) and a list of ideas for improvements, whether or not you think these ideas can be implemented. Create blue cards (see Figure 4-13) for these ideas and post them on the map where you think they should go. The blue card technique is a visual aid that allows you to pinpoint exactly where all of your Set-in-Order strategies might apply. The advantage of using cards is that you can move them around and change them until you have an accurate picture. The colorcoding system helps even more: Yellow cards showed what the problems were, and blue cards show what the solutions are. (Note that the color scheme here is not mandatory. Feel free to use any colors that suit you.) Re: Document Storage Have 3 types of document storage. – Ready-access storage: For documents used almost every day. Keep in cabinets on wheels at desks. – Intermediate storage: Used less often (weekly). Store in file cabinet, easily accessible by everyone. – Remote storage: Rarely used—outside sphere of normal activities. Store in file cabinet at back of office. Figure 4-13. Example of a Blue Card for a Set In Order Idea

Task 3: Draw a Future State Map and Create a Plan After brainstorming with the blue card technique you can draw a future state map of how you want the target area to look after all Set-in-Order improvements are completed. Use blue cards to apply detail you can use blue cards; these can include sketches of specific designs. Once you have a basic plan for Set in Order, make sure you are clear about the following:

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What are the various tasks involved? Who is responsible? When will the activities occur? Are the activities authorized? Do you have buy-in from target area workers?

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 12 Work smarter, not harder. The office must be designed to support the work flow. If the design slows down the flow, a flood will occur, and that will cause secondary problems. In your design, think of things to keep the work moving and flowing smoothly. This will make work easier and more efficient. Avoid “private collections” hoarded by individual workers. All documents, papers, supplies, and tools used in the office belong to the company, not to a particular individual. Implementing Set in Order means instilling teamwork and an understanding that company property is to be shared by everyone. At the same time, systems must be in place so that when someone needs to reorder supplies or find a file, no time is wasted. Benchmark the factory to help organize the office. Many factories have prioritized application Set-in-Order strategies by implementing them on the shop floor before implementing them in their offices, sometimes to prevent going out of business and sometimes as the first step of a company-wide change. It is likely that your factory shop floor may already have implemented Set-in-Order strategies and has a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can use. In fact, you may be surprised at how similar office and factory problems are. Make things easier to get and use. The more frequently something is used, the closer it should be kept to the worker. You should eliminate operations that require full-body motions, such as walking or squatting. Also make it easier to put things back where they belong.

Step 13: Apply the Set-in-Order Process— Executive Summary Purpose: To ensure that all necessary items are in the best location and that it is obvious where that place is Who Does It: The core implementation team, with help from anyone who works in the target area Time Frame: Approximately one to two weeks for an individual target area of about 1,000 square feet Procedure: 1. Review your plan. 2. Select problems or problem areas to improve. 3. Determine criteria and guidelines from which to operate. 4. Move items to where they belong. 5. Make it obvious where things belong. Worksheets and Forms: Set-in-Order application checklist (see Figure 4-14); criteria checklist (see Figure 4-15) Starter Tips: 1. Use the criteria checklist in Figure 4-15 or create your own. 2. Use location indicators as key tools for the Set-in-Order process. 3. Know your audience. 4. Don’t overdo planning. At some point you just have to start doing it! 5. Keep improving and testing new ideas.

Purpose of Applying Set in Order Applying Set in Order in the office means ensuring that there is a place for everything and that everything is in its proper place. This is where the plan that you developed in Step 12 comes to fruition.

Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for implementing the Set-in-Order plan. However, target area workers should be invited to participate. Remember that the people who work in the area are closest to the facts—they are the “resident experts.” Changes

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should not be forced on the people who use the work place every day. It is important to get their input.

Step-by-step Procedure There are five primary tasks in Step 13. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Review the plan. 2. Select problems or problem areas to improve. 3. Determine criteria and guidelines from which to operate. 4. Move items to where they belong. 5. Make it obvious where things belong. Task 1: Review Your Plan You may have performed Steps 11 and 12 at a different time, so it’s a good idea to review your future state map from Step 12 and plan for Set in Order. In addition, ask people who use the area where possibilities for improvement exist. If you have performed Steps 11 and 12 correctly, this task will almost seem unnecessary because you will already have an in-depth awareness of the current conditions of the target area. Task 2: Select Set-in-Order Problem Areas It is possible that you will not be able to solidify your entire Set-in-Order plan at one meeting. If this is the case, you need to decide exactly what actions you will take now. For example, you may not be able to take action on ideas that require purchases of new equipment or supplies. These can become part of a “to-do” list for your next meeting. Task 3: Review Criteria for Set in Order When used effectively, a standardized operating procedure (SOP) will help people perform Set-in-Order activities in the best, easiest, safest, and quickest way. Figure 4-14 is an example of standard operating procedures for Set in Order. Regardless of how well you understand 5S, it is useful to have a checklist of exactly what you are trying to accomplish. See Figure 4-15 for an example of a criteria checklist for Set in Order. Task 4: Move Items to Where They Belong. When approaching this task, always remember that there should be a place for everything, and everything should be in its place. There are, in general, three types of work areas you may encounter. The easiest to deal with are areas where things are simply out of place and need to be returned. Conference rooms are often like this. They seldom need redesign, just some organization. In other areas, things are out of order because there is no standard place to put them and no logical design. These areas often operate on a basic “day-to-day survival” mentality.

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5S for the Office Application Tasks—Set in Order #

Application Task

1

Prepare all forms and checklists

2

Set the date and time for Set in Order

3

Confirm management permission for the future state plan

4

Determine who will facilitate the Set-in-Order activities

5

Notify workers in the target area

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Prepare the team

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Inspect all items in the area and study the future state map

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Target issues to improve

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Move items to proper place (use criteria checklist)

10

Decide on specific strategies to use

11

Apply location indicators, where appropriate

12

Perform cleaning while you do Set in Order

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List future actions on a “to-do” list Figure 4-14. Example of Standard Operating Procedure for Set in Order

The materials handling office of a hydraulic tool manufacturer in Oregon was exactly like this. Everything was haphazardly heaped on desks, shelves, the floor, and any other surface imaginable. Two chairs served as in and out boxes. Another chair served as a “late” file. Because the desk was too crowded, the laptop computer was on a board stretched between two benches. The only way to solve this mess was to empty the office out and redesign it from scratch. In most offices, there is some logic to the design, but it needs tweaking. But even here, the tweaking can begin only after you figure out where things belong. As you begin to set your target area, look for areas where there is a lack of flow. For example, you may find areas where workflow is delayed; where people, materials, and machines get in each other’s way; or where movement is not smooth. The criteria checklist in Figure 4-15 will help guide you in this activity. • Focus first on large items, such as office machines, equipment, and furniture. • Organize and arrange the large items so that there is a smooth flow of work, no bottlenecks, and minimum movement between workstations. • Next, look at storage spaces, such as shelves, racks, and file cabinets. Consider supplies, books, and files being stored. • Address small equipment and furniture. • Consider small items and supplies, including items in cabinets and drawers.

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5S for the Office Criteria Checklist—Set in Order Item Every single item requires a place It’s better when work flows without backups Work in process that’s put aside indicates flow problems Eliminate searching waste. It is the biggest office waste that exists Walking in a straight line is better than walking around things For desktops and point of use, use rapid-fire order The fewer pieces of furniture and equipment, the better The more often an item is used, the closer it should be to where it is used Make it easy to locate and get an item Make it easy to return an item after use Do not use shelves and drawers to store empty space Have only one row of items on shelves Avoid storing items in piles Apply the First In-First Out rule Avoid placing heavy items on the floor Eliminate doors and drawers when possible Avoid private collections of supplies and equipment Store documents based on how often used “Out of sight” is the enemy Consider an office on wheels Make things understandable at a glance Figure 4-15. Example of Criteria Checklist for Set in Order

Orderliness for Documents The word “document” can refer to a wide range of things, from papers to books to ledgers, files, drawings, etc. For the purpose of Set-in-Order activities, it is useful to classify documents into three types. This classification applies whether the documents are “hard copy” or stored on a computer because the same principles apply: 1. Ready access storage. This includes documents that are used frequently (i.e., more than once each week). These documents should be easily accessible and close at hand. For example, customer or vendor files that are used regularly should be accessible, as should forms and checklists used on a regular basis. 2. Intermediate storage. This includes documents used regularly but not as frequently as the ready access documents. These documents should be easy to retrieve but not stored at workstations. Files on wheels and file cabinets shared by teams or depart-

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ments may help in this regard. For example, some manufacturing companies (job shops) produce certain products only a few times each year. Prints for those jobs don’t have to be stored at someone’s desk. They can be kept in an intermediate or shared file cabinet. The same might be true of personnel records, tax returns, etc. 3. Remote storage. This includes documents rarely used, lying outside the sphere of routine work. Many financial records, for example, should be stored for seven years, but you may never need to refer to them. The same holds true for old engineering and design department files that are kept for reference purposes. (More about how to manage these documents will be discussed in Chapter 6.) At this point, your major concern is whether you should discard a document or keep it. If you decide a document should be kept, you must also decide where it should be kept. Remember that remote storage should be located away from the flow of work so that it doesn’t interfere with daily activities. The Documentation Process Documentation is like any other process: It has to be managed or waste will occur. Usually, the wastes linked with documents are searching, waiting, unnecessary handling, and storage. If you reorder the office to solve your document storage issues, you can eliminate all of these wastes. Consider the process illustrated in Figure 4-16. Making Work in Process (WIP) obvious is an issue during use

Create/Distribute

Document all Management Issues for Set in Order

Ready Access

Use

Intermediate Storage

Remote Storage

Throw Out

Figure 4-16. Documentation Process and Set In Order

Task 5: Make It Obvious Where Things Belong In the Set-in-Order phase, three visual techniques known as location indicators make clear where items belong and when they should be put away. They are lines, labels, and signboards. Each can improve your office area. Lines Lines can be used everywhere—on floors, shelves, tables, desks, and walls. They can be used to show where items belong, the direction in which to walk, the direction fluid (such as water) flows, or where you should or should not stand.

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Colored floor lines, for example, are an effective method to guide visitors, patients, and staff through the labyrinths of a hospital. It is much easier to tell someone to “follow the yellow line” than to give detailed directions. • Divider lines define aisles and operation areas. • Arrows show direction. • Marker lines show the position of equipment and other items. • Range lines indicate range of motion or operation of doors or equipment. • Limit lines show height, minimum or maximum inventory, etc. • “Tiger marks” draw attention to safety hazards. • Outlines or shadows show shape and location of tools and equipment stored in the workplace. This might include an entire tool board or “shadow board.” One specific use of lines is with overhead projectors. It is depressing to see presenters take so much time to adjust each overhead when simple tape lines outlining the corners of a sheet’s location can solve the issue and let the presenter focus on what is important— the presentation itself. In the same way, lines free up that portion of attention used to navigate the office and everyone can pay more attention to work. Labels Another location indicator, often used in conjunction with lines, is labeling. Remember that the goal of Set in Order is “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” After items are used, you need a way to ensure that they are returned to their proper place. An effective way to make this happen is to label the location. An even better approach is to label both the location and the item. Color-coding is often effective for this purpose, and is a standard many medical and dental offices have used for their files for years. Figure 4-17 shows how simple such a labeling system can be. When utilizing this simple and straightforward setup, workers save a lot of time. With clearly marked labels, they can pull the correct envelope (or any other item) from one of the slots without wasting time sifting through a stack of other envelopes. It takes only a few minutes to create these labels. Now think how many minutes they can save in a single day. Signboards Signboards show what goes where in a way that anyone can understand. They often include the following basic information: • Names of areas, processes, functions, or equipment • Location, type, and quantity of inventory • Equipment information • Operational directions or locations • Safety information Figure 4-18 is a photo of a signboard used in a warehouse office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It provides instructions on how to give a signal to the vendor who supplies shipping materials when it is time to reorder those materials. This signboard is located on the door of the supply cabinet.

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Figure 4-17. Example of Labeling

Figure 4-18. Example of a Signboard

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 13 Make it obvious where things belong. The key tools for Set in Order are location indicators—lines, labels, and signs. If you can’t remove doors and drawers and can’t make them transparent, the next best thing is to put labels on them. Know your audience. When you use location indicators, make sure you understand your audience, including the language they speak and where they are most likely to see or read visual indicators. Don’t make the mistake one automotive parts manufacturer in Juarez, Mexico, did by posting instructions in English on all machines when only 10 percent of the employees in the facility could read English. Keep improving. You will probably implement Set in Order with a “big bang” event. But don’t stop there. Keep trying to improve. Keep testing new ideas. Don’t be afraid to move things. Perhaps the most important lesson that Office 5S teams have reported is that until they got over the fear of change, they showed very little gain. As soon as they began moving things, they started to improve. During the process, they often found they had to move things more than once! Even though planning is important, at some point you have to start experimenting. Consider the story of the production control and scheduling team at a large wholesale bakery in Boston. First, the team reorganized all its drawers and cabinets and used tape to designate where items belonged. Finding that things still got mixed up and lost, the team began using small cardboard bins with labels. But that looked messy, so the team bought plastic bins. Later, the team eliminated all cabinets, reduced the number of items in the office, and stored everything on one shelf. Eventually, the team realized it didn’t need drawers. When it bought new desks, they were drawerless. Remember the purpose of Set in Order: “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” You haven’t completed the second S until every item has a place and is automatically returned to that place after use.

Chapter 5: Shine and Inspect Through Cleaning OVERVIEW Chapter 4 covered how to set your office in order by mapping the current state of the targeted office area, developing a Set-in-Order plan, and then actually moving items to where they really belong, to maximize office workflow (and office worker) efficiency. This chapter moves to the next level: how to make the office “shine” by cleaning and inspecting your office and everything in it, following these steps: Step 14: Determine the Criteria for Shine Step 15: Develop and Implement a Plan for Shine

Step 14: Determine the Criteria for Shine— Executive Summary Purpose: To provide the guidelines and standards by which everyone will perform the initial cleaning and inspection activities for Shine Who Does It: The core implementation team with the help of everyone who works in the area Time Frame: One day or less, depending on the size of the area Procedure: 1. Develop a standard operating procedure for Shine. 2. Develop a criteria checklist for Shine. Worksheets and Forms: Shine standard operating procedure (see Figure 5-1); Shine criteria checklist (see Figure 5-2) Starter Tips: 1. Assign a group that usually does not clean and inspect an area to perform this activity together. 2. Focus this step only on initial cleaning and inspection. Ongoing cleaning and inspection will be addressed in the fourth S, Standardize (described in Chapter 6). 3. Keep in mind that criteria have probably already been set for most of the cleaning activities that the team will perform. Look for these standards before you try to reinvent the wheel. 4. Remember, every office is different. So use criteria that are appropriate to your target area.

Purpose of Shine Criteria The full meaning of Shine is to: • Clean everything, inside and out • Inspect through cleaning • Eliminate dirt, dust, and other contamination. Cleaning may seem simple and obvious, and you probably already have a cleaning routine for your workplace. During Shine, however, cleaning is not just a matter of making things look good. It is a way to spot problems early and keep work areas and equipment in top operating condition. A team that doesn’t usually perform cleaning in the target area may perform Shine. For that reason, it is essential that everyone operates from the same principles and uses the same guidelines. Shine criteria provide those guidelines and principles. 121

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Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for determining criteria for Shine. However, if other teams have already done this task, or if a central training team or standard operating procedures committee has already established these criteria, you may not have to perform this step. In either case, it is important for you to learn the criteria.

Step-by-step Procedure There are two primary tasks in Step 14. These tasks are described in the following sections. 1. Develop a Shine standard operating procedure. 2. Develop a Shine criteria checklist. Task 1: Create a Standard Operating Procedure At this point we are only concerned with initial cleaning and inspection. The fourth S, Standardize (described in Chapter 6), will deal with ongoing cleaning and inspection. You used a standardized method for Sort and Set in Order to predict outcomes; the same applies to Shine. Figure 5-1 is an example of an SOP for Shine. A large production company with seven offices located in four states developed this checklist so that everyone would implement Shine in the same way and not forget important activities. The company also wanted to ensure that the sequence of implementation was the same—one activity would build on another. 5S for the Office Application Tasks—Shine #

Application Task

1

Prepare the holding area (be ready to Sort)

2

Prepare all forms, red tags, and checklists

3

Set the date and time for Shine

4

Confirm management permission for Shine

5

Determine who will facilitate the Shine activities

6

Notify workers in the target area

7

Prepare the team to use Shine criteria checklist

8

Identify targets, assignments, and cleaning methods (use a planning sheet)

9

Clean and inspect everything, inside and out.

10

Red tag unneeded items, or use red tag box

11

Throw out trash and garbage

12

Remove unneeded items to holding area

13

Replace worn cords, cables, wires, bulbs, etc., while you clean.

14

Perform Set in Order while you clean Figure 5-1. Example of Standard Operating Procedures for Shine

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As the example in Figure 5-1 shows, Shine always encompasses Sort and Set in Order. As you clean, you will always find more unneeded items, and new ideas about where things should be located will surface. What you discover during the process may surprise you. An order entry department in a food processing company formed a 5S team and proceeded to implement Sort and Set in Order. But it wasn’t until the team began to “clean in earnest” (the team’s definition of Shine) that team members discovered electrical outlets that needed replacing, files that they could throw out (they emptied file drawers to clean), and an extra paper cutter (Pam, one of the team members, wanted to know why she was cleaning two paper cutters when only one was needed). The team also submitted a proposal for new desks (with wheels and no drawers) instead of the “big, old, metal, clunky, impossible to move” desks the department was using. Task 2: Create a Criteria Checklist Before charging into the target area to clean, the team should create a few basic guidelines for Shine. These can be turned into a checklist that everyone involved in the Shine activities can use. Below are a few basic questions that always need to be addressed. 1. Is there anyone you should contact about cleaning any specific equipment? For example, consult the IT department on how to clean computers or the copy machine manufacturer about how to clean the copy machine. 2. Is your timing for cleaning going to interfere with other office activities? For example, will customers be on site during cleaning activities or will cleaning interfere with scheduled meetings, conferences, etc.? 3. Are you using the proper chemicals for cleaning? One team destroyed five computer monitor screens by using an ammonia-based cleaner. It was a costly mistake—the company had to spend $3,000 to replace the monitors. 4. Will you be using the proper methods and tools for cleaning? Some cleaning methods are obvious because you perform them at home. Cleaning office equipment and other technical equipment (such as inspection comparators and scanning devices) may require some research. 5. Are there any safety procedures to watch out for? For example, do you need to unplug equipment before handling and cleaning? Do you have safe ladders? (Standing on desks or chairs to clean places that are hard to reach is never safe and should always be avoided.) Do you need knee pads when you crawl around? 6. What cleaning is OK for the team to perform, and what should be left to others? Most large companies hire professionals to clean carpets, but some small companies don’t have the budget for this. Some look for less expensive alternatives. One job shop in Garden City, Michigan, for example, hired the owner’s son to clean carpets on the weekend. Remember that every office is different. In some offices, creating a criteria checklist may only take a few minutes and result in a short list. In many offices, the checklist may be more complex and comprehensive. Figure 5-2 shows a partial example of a more complex criteria checklist for Shine in an administrative department for the business school of a prominent university. In this example, the office had about 24 computers, but many people didn’t feel “ownership” for the equipment they used. The checklist was intended

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to create awareness and ownership of equipment, partially to take pressure off the technical staff. It was motivated by a rash of calls for technical help for problems that the users could have easily fixed themselves: unplugged computers or wires that had been kicked loose. Among other things, the departmental checklist pointed out the need to “inspect through cleaning.” Criteria Checklist—Shine #

Issue

Point

Response

1

Dust and Dirt

Dust, dirt, etc., found in keyboard

Clean

2

Damage

Plug damaged

Replace wire & plug

3

Looseness

Loose or missing bolts on computer cover

Tighten or replace

4

Temperature

Wire hot to touch

Unplug, call for help

Figure 5-2. Partial Example of Complex Criteria Checklist for Shine

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 14 Remember the purpose of Shine. The purpose of Shine criteria is to ensure that everyone performs this step in the best way possible. Shine may be performed by a team that doesn’t usually perform cleaning in the target area, so it is essential that everyone operate from the same guidelines and principles. Some problems that can occur without effective Shine criteria follow: 1. The screens on computer monitors were damaged because a team member uses the wrong chemicals to clean them. 2. A computer breakdown occurred because the wrong electrical extension was unplugged during cleaning. 3. Customer files were thrown out because a team member didn’t know what they were. (They were poorly labeled and not dated.) 4. An office worker had an allergic reaction to cleaning materials used during Shine. 5. Deep cleaning of the conference room was scheduled at the same time as an executive meeting. The cleaning team came in early one day and took all the furniture out of the conference room. They were in the process of vacuuming when the general manager showed up with his top managers. Lucky for the team that the GM admired their enthusiasm for 5S. As you can see from these examples, Shine Criteria not only allows the team to work together but also allows the team to perform Shine more effectively within the larger office environment. Keep in mind that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Many of the cleaning standards that you need for Shine may already exist. Look for them before you reinvent the wheel. This especially applies to cleaning chemicals and methods. Create criteria appropriate to your target area. Develop criteria that are appropriate to your office. For some offices, a simple list of guidelines is enough. For others, a checklist like the one in Figure 5-2 is more appropriate.

Step 15: Develop and Implement a Plan for Shine—Executive Summary Purpose: To clean the target area and use cleaning as a method of inspection Who Does It: The core implementation team with the help of target area workers Time Frame: One day to one week, depending on size of target area and schedules Procedure: 1. Determine targets and assignments. 2. Determine cleaning methods. 3. Review criteria for Shine. 4. Perform initial cleaning and inspection. Worksheets and Forms: Initial Shine plan (see Figure 5-3) Starter Tips: 1. Keep in mind that getting the best Shine is not an accident. Be systematic. 2. Always involve people who work in the target area in cleaning. 3. As you clean, also inspect equipment, cords, wires, furniture, etc. 4. Replace worn-out parts, bulbs, and wires immediately. 5. Use all your senses: • Look for signs of wear, damage, leaks, dirt, and grime. • Listen for inconsistent or unusual equipment sounds. • Feel areas that you suspect may have excessive wear, abrasion, and sharp edges/points. • Smell smoke, oil, garbage, or anything else that doesn’t belong.

Purpose of Creating and Implementing a Plan The purpose of this step is to perform deep cleaning in the target area. To do so, you need a clear plan that will tell you who will do the cleaning (assignments), what they will clean (specific targets such as equipment, desk area, or storage areas), and exactly how the cleaning will be performed (cleaning methods). For initial cleaning, everything should be cleaned and scrubbed until it “shines” like new. But this step also means inspection. Check every piece of equipment, drawer, light bulb, and electrical outlet to see that it works correctly. At the end of this step, you will not only have a cleaner office; you will have an office that looks, feels, and works better.

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Employees will feel better being there, and customers will be much more impressed with the company as a whole. One supply chain manager of an international aerospace manufacturer with hundreds of suppliers called the result of Shine the “Wow Factor.” In fact, it was one of his criteria for choosing and keeping suppliers. His philosophy was that if a company cared enough about cleanliness and appearance, and maintained that cleanliness, it had the ability to maintain other standards as well. Right or wrong, the “Wow Factor” served him well.

Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for creating and implementing the plan for Shine. All target area workers should be involved immediately.

Step-by-step Procedure There are four primary tasks in Step 15. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Determine targets and assignments. 2. Determine cleaning methods. 3. Review criteria for Shine. 4. Perform initial cleaning and inspection. Task 1: Determine Targets and Assignments The first task in Shine is to determine exact targets for cleaning and inspection. Office Shine targets can be narrowed into four basic categories: Surface refers to floors, walkways, walls, ceilings, windows, shelves, doors, and any other surface (tops of kitchen equipment such as refrigerators, tops of lights, etc.). Equipment refers to office machines, furniture, tools, tables, desks, chairs, phones, copying machines, computers, carts, filing cabinets, etc. Stored Items refers to any item stored on shelves (books and binders), in cabinets (files, office supplies), in closets, in boxes – essentially any item not used on a regular basis. Point of Use Items refers to items used on a regular basis, especially items at desks or tables, or where work is performed. After determining the specific targets for Shine, you need to decide who should perform the task. This is when a team member can be linked up with a target area worker who is not on the team. Figure 5-3 is an example of a form that can be used to organize your planning for Shine.

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Office 5S Initial Shine Plan Target

Who

Mail Desk

John & Lisa

Method Remove, clean, replace

When Friday

Tools & Supplies – Paper towels – Spray cleaner

Figure 5-3. Example of Initial Shine Plan

Task 2: Determine Cleaning Methods The purpose of this task is to think ahead so that you don’t waste time when you begin to clean. Not only do you want to have the right tools and supplies, you want to make sure you know how to use them. Ironically, even though the 5S System is aimed at waste elimination, teams implementing the system waste time because of poor planning. When cleaning begins, there should be no searching, no waiting, and no pauses. You should know exactly what to do and have everything you need to do it. One team scheduled 90 minutes to clean its inspection office. All four members arrived on time but took 20 minutes to find brooms, rags, cleaning materials, and garbage bags. By the time they began cleaning, they had wasted more than an hour (four people at twenty minutes each)! Their counterparts in a sister company did it right. They assigned one person to gather all materials and supplies. She did this during lunch. Everyone showed up on time. Although they scheduled 90 minutes for the cleaning, they performed the task in 65 minutes. Task 3: Review Criteria for Shine Review the criteria that you developed in the previous step (see Figure 5-2). This can serve as a refresher course for people who have been involved in earlier activities or as mini-training for any new people. Task 4: Perform Initial Cleaning and Inspection Perform the cleaning and inspection. It is important to clean everything, inside and out. Here are a few guidelines. • Start at the top and work down, beginning with ceilings, light fixtures, and pipes. • Clean other major items, such as furniture, equipment covers, desks, tables, walls, and doors.

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• Clean dirt, dust, oil, rust, and other debris from every surface, and restore surfaces to their original state. • Next, clean drawers, cabinets, and the inside of machines. Don’t forget to open keyboards, computers, and printers. You may need help in discovering how to do this, but the principle here is to reinforce ownership. The better you know your equipment, the better you will treat it and maintain it. • Replace worn parts, wires, bulbs, etc., before they become bigger problems. If company rules do not allow you to do this, tag these items and call the right person immediately. • Finally, clean the floors and aisles. Note: The timing for cleaning depends on the company. Some organizations can afford to assign downtime so that cleaning can occur. In other cases, other work cannot be interrupted, and special arrangements (such as after-hours cleaning or weekend events) should be made. One small furniture company in Kentucky had scheduled sorting and cleaning during a Pizza Saturday. The company bought lunch for everyone, allowed employees to take home any unneeded “stuff” (old tools, supplies, folders, a lawnmower, shovels), and then played volleyball. Family members showed up to help, and the event was a huge success.

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 15 Remember, getting the best Shine is not an accident. You have to approach Shine like any other job. First develop good criteria and standards and create a good plan. Then work together to make it happen. Use all your senses. 1. Look for signs of wear, damage, leaks, dirt, and grime (water on the floor, dust build-up, ink leaks). 2. Listen for inconsistent or unusual equipment sounds (funny sounds by your computer or printer, odd sounds made by air conditioning units). 3. Feel areas that might be subject to excessive wear, abrasion and sharp edges, etc. 4. Pay attention to what you smell—leaks (ink, glue, natural gas in kitchens) often have distinct odors. 5. While you should never take a taste of anything you are unsure of in the workplace, some chemicals may leave a taste in your mouth if they are accidentally ingested in very small amounts. Act immediately. This is an opportunity to find and replace worn-out cords, ceiling tiles, and other items that are usually not seen. If you are not authorized to act, put a red tag (or other appropriate tag) on the item and immediately call the right person (usually maintenance or a designated person in the office). If no one has been continued on next page

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 15, continued assigned to deal with the specific issue, get someone assigned. Remember, by discovering a problem, you have also discovered an opportunity for improvement. Look in the kitchen. If there is one place that is a good indicator of how well an office adheres to 5S conditions, especially Shine, it is the office kitchen. • Look in drawers and cabinets. Are there unneeded items? Are the soap, detergent, and paper towels kept in clearly designated places? How well are things labeled? How clean is it? How old is the food in the refrigerator? Are the windows dirty or the windowsills dusty? • While everyone uses the kitchen, no one likes cleaning the kitchen, and this makes the area a litmus test of how well team cleaning standards are being maintained throughout the office. It’s one thing to clean your own area; it’s another thing to act as a team to maintain the entire office. Too often you will hear, “Oh, that’s not my job” or “That’s not my space.” The best response to such comments is to remind everyone that one of the goals of 5S is to create a team effort for workplace maintenance. Keep in mind that the purpose of Step 15 is to inspect through cleaning. Have you ever bought a used car? Regardless of how carefully you look at the car at the lot, you always miss a scrape, bump, or scratch. It’s only when you bring it home and are washing it that you begin to notice every flaw, every little ding in the paint. The same principle applies to the office. Problems become visible when you start cleaning. Someone will notice that a light bulb needs replacing, someone else will notice squeaking chair wheels, and someone else will detect every electrical cord that gets in the way. Shine is a unique chance to perform a major office inspection. Don’t pass it up.

Chapter 6: Standardize Conditions and Share Information OVERVIEW Chapter 5 covered how to make your office shine by determining the procedures and activities for cleaning and inspecting the office area and then making and implementing a plan for the actual cleanup. This chapter helps you develop future standards for maintaining the improvements you have made. This process involves two steps: Step 16: Determine and Implement Standards for the Ideal State Step 17: Implement Visual Controls

Step 16: Determine and Implement Standards for the Ideal State—Executive Summary Purpose: To define the ideal state for Sort, Set in Order, and Shine and to bring the target area to that ideal state Who Does It: The core implementation team with the help of target area workers Time Frame: Approximately two to four weeks Procedure: 1. Draw a final area map (similar to Figures 4-5 and 4-6, shown in Chapter 4). 2. Assign 3S responsibilities. 3. Integrate 3S into daily work. 4. Implement autonomous maintenance. 5. Implement other standards. Worksheets and Forms: Standard area map (refer back to Figures 4-5 and 4-6); Office 5S job list (see Figure 6-1); five-minute 5S checklist (see Figure 6-2); standard operating procedures for Sort, Set in Order, and Shine (see Figures 6-3, 6-4, and 6-5); kanban card (see Figure 6-7) Starter Tips: 1. Create standards for Sort, Set in Order, and Shine so that they can be integrated into daily work. 2. Encourage participation in development of standards, because it is the best method to get adherence to those standards. 3. Keep in mind that standard operating procedures are recipes for success. 4. Remember: office supply kanban will save a great deal of time and money.

Purpose of Standards To implement standards means to decide the best way to perform each of the first three Ss all the time and to train everyone to perform them according to those standards. There are a number of reasons for creating standards: • To provide an accurate set of instructions to train workers in 5S for the Office • To provide workers with 5S procedures that can be incorporated into their daily jobs • To allow managers to confirm that workers are performing 5S correctly • To develop methods that will result in a safe, waste-free, efficient office that is enjoyable to work in. 133

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Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for creating standards. To succeed, this team must have participation and buy-in from target area workers and supervisors. Forcing standards and work habits on people will not work.

Step-by-step Procedure There are five primary tasks in Step 16. Each of these tasks is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Draw a final area map. 2. Assign 3S responsibilities. 3. Integrate 3S into daily work. 4. Implement autonomous maintenance. 5. Implement other standards. Task 1: Draw A Standard Area Map The purpose of a standard area map is to show the correct or standard location of major items in the target area. The standard area map (see Figure 4-6, shown in Step 11 in Chapter 4) should be posted in the target area where it can be clearly seen by everyone so that a quick reference to the map will show if anything is out of place and, if so, where to put it. Just as with any other standard, there must be a procedure for changing the location of the items on the standard area map. This should involve the team that works in the target area on a daily basis as well as the supervisor. There should also be someone in charge of changing the map when the standard changes. Consider how this policy was implemented by a brake manufacturer in Tennessee. The company was organized in work teams. Each work team was responsible for the daily work output (both in the factory and in the office) as well as management of the physical workplace. The team scheduled meetings on a quarterly basis to examine and redesign the workplace as needed. The team leader was responsible for the upkeep of the standard area map, which represented the most current workplace design. Task 2: Assign 3S Responsibilities When it comes to maintaining 3S conditions in the office, everyone must know their responsibilities and when and where to perform them. An effective tool is to distribute the Office 5S job chart to each person in the target area. The chart serves as a checklist of specific 5S responsibilities. In the example shown in Figure 6-1, 5S jobs are listed on the left side of the page. They are also arranged according to each of the 5Ss. Code letters represent various cycle periods: A means “always” (or continuously) B means “beginning of day”

Step 16: Determine and Implement Standards for the Ideal State—Executive Summary

C D E F

135

means “end of day” means “weekly” means “monthly” means “occasionally or when needed” Office 5S Job List

Target Area: Bookkeeping Assignee: Melissa Date: 5/1/06

1

Red tag, Sort

x

2

Place location indicators

3

5 Minute 5S

4

Vacuum under work table

5

Collect kanban cards/order supplies

x

6

Redo standard area map

x

Always

Begin Day

End Day

Weekly

Monthly

When Needed

A

B

C

D

E

F

x x

x

SUSTAIN

JOB CYCLE STANDARDIZE

SHINE

SET IN ORDER

5S JOB SORT

#

5S

x

x

x x

x

x

x

x

x x x

Figure 6-1. Example of Office 5S Job List

5S job charts can be used effectively in conjunction with standard operating procedures, which will be discussed later in this section. Task 3: Integrate 3S Into Daily Work Remember that standardization is based on maintaining Sort, Set-in-Order, and Shine conditions (often referred to as the 3Ss). To be effective, much of this must be integrated into the daily work routine so that 3S performance becomes automatic and is never viewed as something extra or separate. A simple analogy for this is what happens when a receptionist hears a phone ring. In most cases, he or she automatically answers it. This automatic response should be extended to 5S performance at all levels. If, for example, you use an office tool, you should automatically return it to its proper location. Or if you use all the paper in the copying machine, you should refill it, not leave it for someone else to fill. Thus, 5S maintenance becomes an integral part of everyone’s job. Visual controls and the 5-Minute 5S are two methods that help integrate Sort, Set in Order, and Shine into everybody’s daily work. Visual controls will be discussed in detail later in this chapter, but it is important to note here that, as the name implies, they ensure that everyone can see the difference between normal and abnormal conditions at a

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glance. If visual controls are used effectively, people are more likely to put things away immediately, because they don’t have to waste time looking for the right place to put them. And they are more likely to follow standards, because standards are obvious. The 5-Minute 5S Once you have achieved the standard conditions you are looking for and have integrated the 3Ss into daily work, it will not take too much effort to maintain those standards. An ideal way to do this is the 5-Minute 5S. (See Figure 6-2.) Please note that the five-minute timeframe is not absolute and that the 5-Minute 5S might not take place in a single day. The process can be performed three minutes one day and six minutes the next day as long as it is performed routinely and correctly. Guidelines for the 5-Minute 5S are presented below: • Implement 5-Minute 5S by using a standardized checklist of activities. • Ensure that there are not too many items on the list (fewer than ten). • Visually display the 5-Minute 5S Checklist. • Implement the checklist every day. • Implement the 5-Minute 5S the same time every day. • Ensure that everyone, including supervisors, performs the 5-Minute 5S. Office 5-Minute 5S Checklist Target Area: Customer Service A Your Name: Lisa Date: March 7, 2006 5S Activity

Task

SORT

1. Remove unnecessary items to holding area. 2. Throw out trash, garbage, etc. 3. Red tag large unnecessary items you can’t move or are unsure of.

SET IN ORDER

4. Check standard area map. 5. Move all items back to proper place.

SHINE

6. Clean desktop and all desktop equipment. 7. Pick up any paper, etc., on floor.

STANDARDIZE

8. Check autonomous maintenance schedule, perform task if scheduled. 9. Check lines, labels, and signs. Replace/repair.

SUSTAIN

10. Read 5S educational bulletin. Figure 6-2. Example of Office 5-Minute 5S

Task 4: Implement Autonomous Maintenance. Ideally, whoever operates equipment should maintain it. Originally, these two functions (operation and maintenance) were combined. However, as office equipment became more sophisticated, and as businesses grew larger, equipment maintenance was separated from equipment operation.

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Today, many companies and their managers are reassessing this separation of functions. What has prompted this shift is a new perspective on waste reduction, which has led to the realization that a decisive factor in decreasing costs and reducing wasted time is more efficient equipment utilization. Maintenance performed by equipment users, or autonomous maintenance, can contribute significantly to equipment effectiveness. At the heart of autonomous maintenance is prevention of deterioration, something that has been neglected in most offices for many years. Computer keyboards easily illustrate this concept. Using a simple screwdriver, anyone can remove the cover of his or her own keyboard. What workers find below the keyboard cover may shock them. A lot of dust, dirt, and hair is only the beginning. Some workers have actually discovered pennies, earrings, and dead insects, discoveries that clearly explained why the keyboard was not functioning properly. Dead bugs and dust aside, the point here is that this process can be performed by operators and does not require a call to the maintenance department. If users can participate in the maintenance of equipment by being responsible for the prevention of deterioration, better maintenance is more likely to be achieved officewide. This cooperative effort allows maintenance personnel to focus on more technical problems. Program for Equipment Users The following activities are designed for equipment operators. Because they are the people who use the equipment, they are the best people to handle these activities. 1. Deterioration prevention • Operate equipment correctly. • Maintain basic equipment conditions (cleaning, lubrication, nut tightening, etc.). • Make adequate adjustments during use and setup. • Record data on breakdowns and malfunctions. • Prevent contamination. • Work with maintenance personnel to study and implement improvement. 2. Deterioration inspection • Perform daily inspections through cleaning. • Make periodic planned inspections. 3. Equipment Restoration • Make minor repairs (simple parts replacement and temporary repairs). • Promptly report any problems. • Assist in repairs to learn as much as possible. Program for Maintenance Personnel In this section, for lack of a better word, all technical personnel responsible for fixing office machines and computers are called “maintenance” personnel. The functions maintenance performs are often outsourced, something that wastes time and money and should be viewed as a good incentive to prevent equipment breakdown in the first place. Moreover, maintenance should concentrate on work requiring a high level of technical

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skill, not keyboard cleaning and similar activities that operators can perform. Within the framework of an autonomous maintenance program, maintenance personnel should perform the following activities: • Continue to improve maintainability of equipment. • Train, guide, and assist operators with autonomous maintenance. • Research and develop better technology. • Set and improve maintenance conditions and standards. • Evaluate and keep maintenance records. Task 5: Implement Other Standards. Sort, Set in Order, and Shine are improvement activities that are part of everyone’s job. Proper implementation of these 3Ss on a daily basis, however, requires standards. Without standard operating procedures, you risk a wide range of individual approaches that can only lead to chaos. Recommended guidelines are presented below. Daily Standards for Sort When you performed the initial Sort activities, you used a checklist. This checklist will now become an SOP that ensures everyone performs Sort the way it works best (see Figure 6-3). Additional forms and documents you will need are listed below the figure. 5S for the Office Standard Operating Procedures—Sort #

Application Task Every Person, at All Times and During 5-Minute 5S

1

Always have red tags available

2

Inspect all items in the area (use Sort inspection sheet)

3

Red tag unneeded items, or use red tag box

4

Throw out trash and garbage

5

Remove unneeded items to holding area

6

Record items eliminated on unneeded items log

7

Perform cleaning while you red tag

8

Put wires, chairs, books, etc., back in place as you encounter them The Supervisor of the Target Area

1

At 4:30 PM manage and organize each item in holding area, then do same with red-tagged items in target area

2

Categorize and log each item using unneeded items log

3

Decide what to do with each item (use disposition checklist for this)

4

Dispose of item

5

Make formal reports where needed Figure 6-3. Example of Standard Operating Procedures for Sort

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Additional forms and documents needed for Sort standards: • Sort inspection sheet (refer back to Figure 3-2 in Chapter 3) • Red tags (refer back to the example shown in Figure 3-3 in Chapter 3) • Unneeded items log (refer back to Figure 3-7 in Chapter 3) • Disposition checklist (refer back to Figure 3-4 in Chapter 3) Daily Standards for Set in Order When used effectively, an SOP for Set in Order also helps people perform their jobs in the most efficient way. Figure 6-4 is an example of standard operating procedures for Set in Order. 5S for the Office Standard Operating Procedures—Set In Order #

Application Task Every Person Should Follow These Standards While They Work

1

Always replace an item immediately after using it

2

When you find an item without a home, red tag it

3

Eliminate searching waste. It is the biggest office waste that exists

4

The more often an item is used, the closer it should be to where it is used

5

Make it easy to locate and get an item

6

Make it easy to return an item after use

7

Do not use shelves and drawers to store empty space

8

Have only one row of items on shelves

9

Avoid storing items in piles

10

Avoid placing items on the floor

11

Avoid private collections and backups

12

Make things understandable at a glance

13

Don’t hide things

14

If you can’t walk a straight line to get somewhere, consider moving something During the 5-Minute 5S

1

Briefly review the standard area map

2

Move items back to their proper place, based on map & visual controls

3

Repair/replace worn visual controls

4

Target issues to improve based on criteria checklist

5

Decide on specific strategies to use

6

Write idea on blue card and post on map Figure 6-4. Example of Standard Operating Procedure for Set In Order

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Daily Standards for Shine When you develop an autonomous maintenance program and the 5-Minute 5S checklist, you will already be creating standards for Shine. A question you will have to ask yourself at this point is whether cleaning is being done properly, with the right tools and supplies, or whether you need to standardize. If so, you should remember that every office is different. Some offices can develop an SOP short list for Shine in 30 minutes. In others, the process may be more complex and lead to a more comprehensive list. Figure 6-5 shows a partial example of a more complex SOP for Shine. This form was created by a combined office and shopfloor 5S team called the “COMBOS,” for a large screw machine shop in central Michigan. It is noteworthy because it reflects the creativity and perspective of both office and shopfloor workers. Standard Operating Procedure—Shine Target Area: Frequency: Who Does It:

Main Office, Kitchen, and Bathrooms Every Friday, 4:15 p.m. (Monthly rotation) John and Steve Main Response

Clean/ Category # Inspection Point 1 Warning lights or other bulbs are dirty.

Clean

Lube

Repair

Replace

X

Electrical Equipment 2 Warning lights or bulbs are out.

X

3 Control panels or covers are cracked or broken

X

X

4 Wires are frayed, damaged, or likely to be damaged.

X

5 Plugs or connections are loose.

Plumbing

Tighten

X

6 Switches are dirty or damaged.

X

Check pipes under all sinks

X

X

X

Figure 6-5. Partial Example of Complex SOP for Shine

X

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Office Supply Kanban Office supply kanban is a method to control the number and amount of office supplies so that you never run out and are never overstocked. Kanban is a Japanese term that refers to the card that controls the reordering of supplies. The driving principle of office supply kanban is that no reorder can take place without a kanban card in hand. Figure 6-6 provides an overview of office supply kanban. (A) Point of Use

Kanban Card, Post Order, Waiting for Delivery Bin (D) (F) Receive Deliveries (E) Place Orders

Kanban Card Reorder Bin

(B) Decentralized Supply Storage

(C)

Figure 6-6. Basic Model of Office Supply Kanban System

1. Using kanban Here is how the system works. 1. When point of use (A) runs out of supplies, the person responsible for supplies goes to decentralized storage (B) and obtains the needed supplies. 2. When supply runs low and it is time to reorder, the person looking for supplies will encounter a kanban card (see Figure 6-7). 3. That person will not only pick up supplies but will also put the kanban card in the reorder bin (C). 4. On a daily basis, an assigned person will check all reorder bins and record orders and place the kanban card in a “wait for delivery” bin (D). 5. This person then orders supplies on a standard, predetermined day (E). 6. Orders are received by the person who placed them (F). 7. That person collects the kanban cards from the wait bin (D) and distributes the supplies to the appropriate area or shelf (B) with the kanban card. 2. Setting up kanban Of course, there are a few keys to setting up the kanban system in the first place.

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Step 1: Determine minimum and maximum levels. Step 2: Create kanban cards for all supplies. Step 3: Set up a visually controlled supply area. Step 4: Train everyone in the use of kanban. Step 5: Review and revise Steps 1 and 2. Step 1: Determine Minimum and Maximum Levels. At point of use throughout the office, you must determine exactly how much is needed for a standard amount of time. Usually this is only the amount needed to do the work. Hoarding isn’t necessary because storage is decentralized and easy to get to. Sometimes point of use and the decentralized storage are at the same location. Paper for copying machines and cartridges for printers are good examples. At the decentralized storage areas, you need to decide a minimum amount to keep on hand by studying how much you will need between orders. For example, if you order once per week and it takes three days to receive the order, it is possible that you need to keep 10 days worth of supplies on hand. Your maximum is a judgment call, more to do with economics and storage space than anything else. Just remember, every dollar of inventory on the shelf is waste because it does nothing except sit there, take up space, get in the way, and is likely to be damaged or lost. So the rule of thumb is to keep as little on hand as possible. Step 2: Create Kanban Cards for All Supplies. When a card-based system is used, the user places the card (see Figure 6-7) in the reorder bin to request new supplies. The person who will place the orders will pick up the card on a regular basis. After that person records the order, the card is put back in the designated spot. The card lists all necessary reorder information. Supply Reorder Kanban Card Item Description Post-it ® Pop-Up 3″ 3 5″ Yellow Reorder Quantity 1 Dozen (12) Packages. 5 per package. Supplier Name Staples Item Number 511790 Figure 6-7. Example of Office Supply Kanban Card

Timing is everything. The request has to be made while there are still some supplies left so the office does not risk running out of needed items.

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A variation on traditional kanban is electronic kanban, which uses a wand and a bar code on the kanban card, making order processing electronic instead of manual. All the person responsible for processing orders has to do is download the orders into a computer. Step 3: Set Up a Visually Controlled Supply Area. Visual controls are the best way to maintain the standards once they have been set. More about this will be discussed in Step 17: Implement Visual Controls (described in the next section of this chapter). Step 4: Train Everyone in the Use of Kanban. As soon as the system is set up, you must train everyone how to use it. The best way to do this is to walk your people through the system, showing them how it works, and pointing out the benefits. Step 5: Review and Revise Steps 1 and 2. You can expect the need for supplies to change. This will happen seasonally and over time. As technology changes, improvements are implemented, and the number of office personnel changes, the need for supplies will also change. This change needs to be monitored regularly so that the minimum and maximum numbers can be changed, and the kanban cards can be changed as well. Remember these rules of kanban: • No order is made without a kanban card. • Keep amounts on the shelf to a minimum. • Visually control the storage areas. • Continue to review and revise the storage numbers. Filing Methods In the early 1990s someone coined the phrase “the paperless office.” The main idea was that computers and email would make paper obsolete. This will never happen. There will always be files. And even though it is a good idea to avoid making paper copies of data whenever possible, paper files will always exist and you will need to standardize your filing methods. The following section briefly describes two typical filing methods: binders and folders. Binders resemble books with documents fastened to them via rings or spirals. They are typically stored on shelves or desks. Folders hold documents that are inserted (usually without attachment devices) and are generally stored in file drawers or cabinets. Folders are much more compatible with a 5S Office. They are easier to change, carry, and maintain. • With today’s lean manufacturing systems in place, you need to keep documents in small lots that cover many topics. That means storing documents in small packages or folders. • It is much easier and faster to get and return documents stored in folders than documents stored in binders. • Folders can be more easily maintained and changed in much more detail. • Folders cost much less than binders and are easier to reuse. • Folders take up only slightly more space than the documents they are holding whereas binders take up more space, whether they are full or not. • Color codes can be more easily applied to folders.

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Document Storage There are a few standards that will greatly simplify document storage: 1. Clearly separate ready access and remote storage documents. On an average, less than one percent of stored documents are needed after one year in ready access. After two years, even fewer documents are of any use. For that reason, it is a good idea to transfer documents to remote storage after one year. 2. Establish storage limit dates. All documents should be marked with storage limit dates. These dates will be determined by company regulations, legal requirements, or customer requirements. These dates should be clearly marked on the file folder. 3. Store and discard remote storage documents by the boxload. One of the biggest deterrents to removing files has to do with sorting them individually. The solution is to store and discard remote files by the boxload. Once documents have passed through the ready-access stages in folders and are moved into remote storage, transfer them into boxes. Do not treat them as separate documents. Make sure that the boxes are clearly marked with a storage period and a removal date. You can even color code the removal date (for example, green can mean discard in December of 2007). Discard each box in its entirety when the end of the storage period arrives.

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 16 Encourage participation in development: It’s the best training. The best way to train people in Office 5S is to get them to help develop the standards that will be adopted. This is especially important because the development of a standard follows a logical sequence of events: 1. Study the problem. 2. Think of solutions. 3. Test and modify solutions. 4. Standardize the solutions for everyone. By the end of this process all participants will not only have an understanding of the standard but will have something even more important—ownership. Always consider the source of problems. In Office 5S, standardization means prevention and that means looking for the source of problems. If the root cause of problems in Sort, Set in Order, and Shine is not addressed, you will never have effective standards. The case study below illustrates this concept. One target area team “implemented” Office 5S principles but continued to find that unneeded empty folders, boxes, envelopes, pens, and pencils kept piling up on a table in their area. After studying the problem, they found three causes and solutions: • The table wasn’t needed except as an obvious surface to place things. It was removed.

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 16, continued • There was no other place for people to put those unneeded items. The team created and clearly labeled an unneeded items box for that purpose. • The people who were piling those items on the table had not performed any Office 5S organization in their own areas. The team helped them organize a 5S for the Office program in their respective areas. Managers must stay involved. An old 5S saying is that “you get what you inspect, not what you expect.” A corollary to this is that Office 5S works best when managers and others who do not work in a target area every day perform periodic inspections. Sometimes the people who do work there are too close to the problems to see them. Remember the purpose of Step 16 is to develop a recipe for success. Standards are your recipe for success. Making a good tomato sauce or a great apple pie according to a treasured family recipe is virtually foolproof—if you follow the directions in their proper sequence, if you use the correct tools, and if you pay attention to any special warnings. Cooking with a recipe uses a systematic method that has been tested by generations of excellent cooks. If certain actions are taken using certain tools, the outcome is predictable. The same applies to 5S for the Office. If you use standards as a recipe for success, you will get predictable outcomes. If you don’t, the outcome is also predictable—waste.

Step 17: Implement Visual Controls— Executive Summary Purpose: To create a visual language throughout the target area and ensure adherence to all 5S standards Who Does It: The core implementation team with the help of target area workers Time Frame: Approximately one month Procedure: 1. Identify control points. 2. Implement visual displays. 3. Make information part of the workplace. Worksheets and Forms: Control point chart (see Figure 6-9); One-point lessons (see Figure 6-13) Starter Tips: 1. Always remember your audience, because the first job of this step is to create a visual language that your staff can understand. 2. Keep in mind that one picture is worth a thousand words. 3. Decide the control point you want to adhere to first: You need to know what you want to control before you decide how. Then you can decide the visual control needed. 4. Remember, there are different levels of control. Various visual controls give you different levels of control. You have to decide what level of control you need before you choose the correct or appropriate visual control. 5. Don’t overuse visual controls because this creates waste. Always have a good reason to implement a visual control.

Purpose of Visual Controls Visual controls play an important role throughout the planning and implementation of 5S for the Office. However, in this step, visual controls have a very specific function—to ensure adherence to standards. For this reason, the objective is to create a visual language throughout the area and beyond and then ensure that everyone understands how to meet standards. It is easy to see why people often call this step a visual office. Levels of control are illustrated in Figure 6-8.

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Put Mistake-proofing in Place Put Warnings in Place Make Information Part of Workplace Create Visual Displays Identify Standards

Figure 6-8. Levels of Control

Who Does It The core implementation team is responsible for the implementation of visual controls. However, the team should get participation and buy-in from supervisors and workers in the target area as well as approval from the project champion. A case study shows why so many people should be involved. One team wanted to create an information board with measurement charts, progress reports, and upcoming internal events. The team wisely decided to include everyone working in (or adjacent to) the office during the design phase. This proved to be a brilliant strategy because many new ideas were generated. Moreover, everyone used the board when it was completed.

Step-by-step Procedure There are three primary tasks in Step 17. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Identify control points (see Figure 6-9). 2. Implement visual displays (see Figures 6-10 and 6-14). 3. Make information part of the workplace (see Figures 6-11 and 6-12). Task 1: Identify Control Points The definition of a visual control is being able to control by seeing at a glance, or through “visuals.” Before you determine how you control something, you must clearly identify what it is you want to control—in other words, your control points. All control points are linked to standards, and this simplifies the task of identifying them because it is tied to creating standard categories that are logical for your target area. A general list of control points might include the following: • Supplies and inventory • Equipment • Furniture • Location of operations • Kitchens • Bathrooms

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• Bulletin boards and notice boards • Doors, windows, walls, ceilings, walkways, stairs • Document storage For each category, you can further identify the primary, physical things (control points specific to each category) that you want to control with visual controls. For example, a good control point for “office supplies” would be “maximum and minimum levels.” The standard to control would be “keep numbers within maximum and minimum range levels at all times and never run out.” A control point chart (see the example in Figure 6-9) for your target area will help you identify the visual controls that you need. Often the same visual control can control more than one control point. Control Point Chart Category

Control Point

Standard

Office Supplies

1. Quick to find

Find in 10 seconds

2. Quick to replace

Obvious where missing at a glance

3. Min/max levels

Keep inventory within min/max levels at all times and never run out

1. Easy to see

Find in 5 seconds from anywhere

2. Easy to get

Anyone can have in hand within 10 seconds of start

3. Always works

Scheduled checks, recorded

4. Training

Everyone knows how to use it, and is always reminded

Safety Equipment

Figure 6-9. Example of Control Point Chart for Visual Office

Task 2: Implement Visual Displays Visual displays are a tool for communicating important information about the office environment, customer requirements, safety, operations, storage, quality, equipment, improvement activities, and other work standards. Visual metrics, signs, signboards, and one-point lessons are especially useful as visual displays. Visual Metrics The way we report and display data affects how we think about it. Effective use of information depends on effective reporting and display of that information. Visual metrics can be helpful in the overall implementation of an Office 5S system because they do the following:

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• Make data easy for teams to understand and interpret. • Clarify the underlying loss picture (chart of diminishing returns). • Focus improvement activities. Figure 6-10 is a good example of a visual metric because it has the following characteristics: • It is directly related to a company strategy—waste elimination. • The measure is location-specific—the quality office. • It is easy to use. In fact, you have a graph to study the trend over time. • It provides fast feedback. • It fosters improvement.

Figure 6-10. Example of a Visual Metric

Signboard Strategy Imagine driving into a town, trying to find a house where there are no street signs and no addresses. How can you find your way around? The same principle applies to offices. Without addresses and signboards of some kind, only the most experienced employees would know where to find things. Everyone else would be at a loss. To turn an office into a workplace where everyone can see where everything belongs—at a glance—you need a facility address system and a signboard strategy. Typical signboard examples are shown in Figures 6-11 and 6-12.

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Customer Service Blue Location

Team Members

Primary Customers

Figure 6-11. Example of Office Team Signboard

Figure 6-12. Example of Signboard in an Office

Figure 6-12 is a signboard outlining filing standards for job certifications at an aerospace parts manufacturer. This company handles thousands of orders for different parts every year. Each file must be certified by the quality department before it is allowed to be used by anyone on the shop floor. If not filed correctly, the files may be lost, released without certification, or discarded. There are several of these signboards at point of filing. There are three types of signboards for Office 5S: 1. Location signboards: These show the location of a department, team, piece of equipment, or item. 2. Information signboards: These provide information on the number or amount of supplies, safety information, when to do things, etc.

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3. Procedural signboards: These are more specific than the other two types. They tell you how to complete a task. The best method to use for procedural signboards is a “one-point lesson.” One-point lessons are quick reminders of how to perform an operation, procedure, or standard way of doing something. They have to be quick and easy to follow and should be posted at the worksite—no more than one page, chart, or graph. A typical one-point lesson might include a checklist for organizing and cleaning a shared work station (such as mail tables) at the end of each day and a list of who will perform the tasks on each day of the week. A larger office, like a quality office or customer service office, may have a checklist that the entire team uses at the end of its workday. Checklists are probably not needed at individual desks, but each person should have his or her own “mental” checklist. Figure 6-13 is an example of a one-point lesson for a 5-Minute 5S inspection.

Figure 6-13. Example of a One-point Lesson

Task 3: Make Information Part of the Workplace. Ideally, a standard is integrated into the workplace so that it becomes part of work performance. The highway system is a good example of this. Not only does the highway system employ the signboard strategy to give information, it also uses various lines to tell us when we can pass, when not to pass, and where there is a crosswalk. The highway system also uses color-coding: red means stop, yellow means caution, and green means go. Highways also build in other information. Speed bumps slow us down when signs or flashing lights aren’t enough. Bells, flashing lights, and a barrier will stop us from crossing railroad tracks at a dangerous intersection. Sometimes arrows are painted on the road itself.

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Similar informational signs and signals can be used in an office. Several were described in detail in Step 13 (at the end of Chapter 4) and are listed here as a brief reminder: Labels show where things belong. Outlines show where things belong or where you should or shouldn’t walk. Divider lines define aisles and operation areas. Marker lines show the position of furniture, equipment and other items. Limit lines show height, minimum or maximum numbers, and similar limits related to stored items. Outlines or shadows show the shape and location of things stored in the workplace. Arrows show direction. Color codes add another dimension to office organization and standardization. Previous chapters have described red tags (Chapter 3), yellow cards (Chapter 4), and blue cards (Chapter 4) to demonstrate how this concept is applied. Visual controls and displays play an important role in every step of the 5S System. Figure 6-14 shows the various types of visual displays and controls and their general purpose. Type

General Purpose

Storyboards

Share information about projects or improvements. To educate and motivate.

Signboards

Share vital information at point of use.

Maps

Share actual processes, standard operating procedures, directions, etc.

Kanbans

Control the withdrawal of inventory (or tools) in and out of supermarkets, lines, and cells. Can also be used to regulate orders from the factory to suppliers.

Checklists

Provide an operational tool that facilitates adherence to standards, procedures, criteria, etc.

Indicators, Color codes

Show correct location, item types, amount, direction, or proper motion by building that information into the workplace.

Lights/alarms

Provide a strong or unavoidable sign when there is an abnormality or action to be taken.

Mistake-proofing

Prevent abnormalities or problems from occurring or from moving to the next process or step. Figure 6-14. Types and Purpose of Visual Controls

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 17 Design a visual office. The purpose of this step is to create a visual language (throughout the area and beyond) and ensure that everyone understands how to meet standards. Provide just-in-time information. Visual control begins with one simple premise: “One picture is worth a thousand words.” If that picture is available exactly when you need it, where you need it, and with just the right amount of information, then it is worth several thousand words. The essence of visual controls is just-in-time information. Help create a “no-blame environment.” In a visual office, nothing is hidden. This is the real test of whether or not employees and managers have bought in to real improvement. There must be a no-blame environment before real, lasting improvement happens. While working with one client (a parts manufacturer for jet engines), the authors spent more than six months with seven separate teams, each of which was required to report to senior management. One team showed an immediate improvement for two months, then a down-turn for two months, then slow improvement. The plant manager wanted to know why the drop occurred after the second month. What was the problem? You can imagine the nervousness of the team under fire. At a meeting focused on finding the root cause of the problem, the team leader started to pick his words carefully. There was a commotion in the back of the room, and a woman who had working at the plant for 18 years spoke up. She pointed to the Pareto Chart showing the measures for the first two months. She said, “See that? We didn’t believe you when you said that no-blame thing, so that’s not real data.” Then she pointed to where the data took a downturn and said, “That’s where we started to believe no blame. Everything else is real data.” And everything else was real improvement! The moral of the story speaks for itself.

Chapter 7: Sustain the Gains OVERVIEW Chapter 6 described how to standardize the system you have been establishing by implementing standards for sorting, setting in order, and shining office areas and then implementing visual controls so that everyone in the office can easily keep in mind how the system works. This chapter describes the final phase of 5S for the Office: How to Sustain the gains you have made by following these final three steps: Step 18: Roll-out Training for Everyone Step 19: Make 5S a Habit Step 20: Continue to Improve

Step 18: Roll-out Training for Everyone— Executive Summary Purpose: To provide all employees with the awareness, attitudes, and skills for successful implementation of the 5S System Who Does It: A designated training team Time Frame: Ongoing Procedure: 1. Create a training plan. 2. Implement the training plan. Worksheets and Forms: Standard training matrix (see Figure 7-2); lesson plan development form (see Figure 7-1) Starter Tips: 1. Remember that standard operating procedures are the foundation of all training. 2. Emphasize practice in training. Lectures are boring. 3. Create a learning environment that is supportive to participants attending and where information is linked to issues they have to deal with in their jobs. 4. Include the “5 Whys” in everyone’s training. 5. Provide self-training aids such as videos, books, and manuals.

Purpose of Training The purpose of Step 18 is to create and implement a training roll-out plan for Office 5S. Training everyone is critical to the implementation of 5S for the Office. People will be required to change their behaviors, acquire new habits, and learn new skills. You cannot force people to do this. The only way to accomplish it is through teaching and learning. The purpose of training everyone is to provide every employee with the following: • The awareness of the purpose of the 5S System, its benefits, and how it fits into daily work activities • The philosophy and attitudes that make the 5S System work • The skills to implement the 5S System Training may vary from person to person. For example, everyone should be trained in how to use the basic 5S System, but supervisors, team leaders, and managers may also be trained in how to facilitate a team event. Others may be trained in how to manage a holding area.

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Who Does It A designated training team plans and implements this step. Because many organizations cannot afford staff positions for training, training and coaching functions are sometimes assigned as adjunct activities that become part of a primary job. For example, a machine shop in Jackson, Michigan, with 52 employees formed a 5S training team of two people. One member of the team, who was also a manager in an administrative position, served as the 5S coordinator. The other was a machine operator who had an outstanding talent for organization and development of visual controls.

Step-by-step Procedure There are two primary tasks in Step 18. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Create a training roll-out plan (see Figure 7-1). 2. Implement the training plan. Task 1: Create a Training Roll-out plan Many employees have been subjected to unsuccessful learning programs that have bored them and even made them afraid to participate. The most common problems associated with such programs are easy to find: • Lectures are overused. • The learning program is not linked to any real changes in the workplace. • Supervisors often do not support the training. • Managers are not receptive to new ideas. • The training is not linked to organizational change. To remedy these problems you need to use a simple learning model that links training, improvement, and daily work. Always remember that simplicity is the key. A Simple Learning Model Good training is good because it is uncomplicated. For 5S, a good learning model that follows this principle has four important components: • Awareness • Skills • Implementation • Understanding 1. Awareness training is important because it establishes a foundation for learning. It explains the purpose of the training, why it is important to the company and the individual, and the benefits of learning. It also provides a working model of the 5S System and specific definitions. Some of the best tools for teaching awareness are: • Short videos of world class companies (presented on a monthly basis)

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• Benchmarking other companies that have implemented the 5S System • Displays of “before” and “after” pictures of 5S implementation Unfortunately, most training focuses too much on this phase. If implementation does not follow immediately, it can become boring and a waste of time. 2. Skills training teaches people how to implement the 5S System. During this phase, participants learn how to find unnecessary items in a designated area, how to fill out a red tag, and how to follow a standard operating procedure once they have located an unnecessary item. They also begin to learn why things are done a certain way—the rudiments of standardization. The skills people need depend on their jobs. Everyone needs to know the basic 5S skills of Sort, Set in Order, and Shine. However, some individuals may need specific training in how to facilitate team meetings. Others may need to know how to manage holding areas or how to create checklists. 3. Understanding. Understanding comes from doing. Eventually, by implementing 5S in the workplace, people gain the depth of knowledge that comes from doing. A tool that will accelerate this process is the 5 Whys. After the initial phase of the 5S program, the name of the game becomes prevention. To prevent a problem from recurring, you must determine the root cause. Often, the first or second “reason” for a problem is not the root cause. This is the time to start asking “Why?” It is a question that is repeated (usually about five times) until you get to the real root cause. The following example shows how well this can work when applied to an Office 5S problem. On a return visit to a nonprofit organization that offered its employees extensive educational seminars and conferences (including 5S), the authors noticed that the company’s “all-purpose” shipping and mailing station was an absolute mess. Pens, pencils, envelopes, labels, tape, and even coffee cups were scattered everywhere. When employees were asked who used these items, the reply was “Everybody in the known world seems to use them.” When asked why the area was such a mess, the employees shrugged and answered, “Nobody really cares.” Obviously, there was a problem. And clearly, no one had even attempted to get to the root cause of that problem. The dialog below shows what happened next. 5 Whys Question 1: Why do unneeded pens, pencils, staplers, and all this stuff keep showing up on the counter? Answer: Because people don’t put them away in their correct place. Question 2: Why don’t people put them away in the correct place? Answer: It’s difficult to tell where the correct place is. Question 3: Why is it difficult to tell where the correct place is? Answer: In most cases the right place is in a drawer, and not visible or labeled.

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Question 4: Why is the right place not labeled? Answer: No one is designated as the person to visually control this area. No one owns it. Question 5: Why isn’t anyone designated to visually control this area? Answer: This area hasn’t been included as an Office 5S target area. The important thing about this example is the method of asking. If you read the dialog carefully, you probably noticed that five “Why?” questions were asked and that the answers to the 5 Whys revealed a great deal. An interaction that could have turned into a blame game or a complaint session turned into a lesson. The area needed to be designated as a 5S target area and some individual (or a team) needed to be assigned to visually control it. 4. Implementation. Unless people use what they learn, they will forget it. The Office 5S model is based on this premise and this translates to the “hands-on” approach that makes the 5S model so effective. A cautionary note, however, is in order. Because the 5S model includes numerous steps and interrelated tasks, trying to teach and implement the 5S System in its entirety is asking people to learn and implement too much too fast. A better approach is to break the learning process down into small, manageable pieces. You will find that the 5S System lends itself to this categorized learning approach very well. You will also find that in an atmosphere conducive to understanding, everyone can look good, problems can be solved, and employees can build on each other’s ideas. Lesson Plans and Materials An effective training program emphasizes learning through practice. A good rule of thumb is 70 percent practice (with coaching) and 30 percent lectures, video, and discussions. This may vary with specific subjects, some of which may require a different balance between theory and practice. The 70/30 rule is a flexible rule which should be adjusted when common sense tells you adjustment is needed. To create lesson plans and materials, you should first decide specific training objectives or “modules” and then develop a lesson plan and agenda for each item. Then compile materials and training aids for practical training. Once again, simplicity is best. A sample lesson plan is provided in Figure 7-1. Examples of training items for a lesson plan are shown in Figure 7-2. The foundation for training materials is the standard operating procedures you have already developed: • for Sort in Step 8 (refer back to Figure 3-1) • for Set in Order in Step 13 (refer back to Figure 4-13) • for Shine in Step 14 (refer back to Figure 5-1) Also refer to Figures 6-3, 6-4, and 6-5 in Step 16.

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5S for the Office Lesson Plan Training Item: Sort Total Time: 90 Minutes Agenda – Greetings – Introduction and Overview – How to Set Up Holding Areas & Perform Sort – Now Do It! – Reflection and Review – Wrap-up

Date: January 9, 2006

Time

Task

Materials

Location

Notes

5 Min

Greetings

Agenda Manual

Classroom

Make everyone comfortable, answer questions, explain agenda.

5 Min

Introduction & Overview

Manual Flip Chart

Classroom

Overview of Sort, all the tools and techniques

10 Min

How to Set Up Holding Areas & Perform Sort

Manual & Standard Operating Procedure

Classroom

Teach how to do it, how to use tools, reasons.

60 Min

Implementation

SOP Inspection Sheet, Red Tags, Unneeded Items Log, Disposition Checklist

Target Area

Do it systematically and slowly. Explain and coach while doing.

5 Min

Reflection & Review

Manual Flip Chart

Classroom

Discuss and review lessons learned.

5 Min

Wrap-up

Flip Chart

Classroom

Give assignments.

Figure 7-1. Example of 5S for the Office Lesson Plan for Sort

Task 2: Implement the Training Plan There are two aspects to implementing a training plan. The first is ensuring that everyone already in the office undergoes training as you implement 5S for the Office. The second is to ensure that new employees are trained when they are hired. When you first implement Office 5S, you are likely to be training larger groups of people (from five to nine people at a time). As you begin implementing the 5S System in new target areas, you may be training smaller groups of people (perhaps three to five at a time). In the case of new people hired to work in areas where the 5S System has already been implemented, you may be training individuals. Despite these variations in training group size, the subject matter will probably be the same. One way to handle the variations is with a standard training matrix (see Figure 7-2). Note that each of the training items in Figure 7-2 should have a lesson plan.

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5S for the Office Standard Training Matrix Name: _________________________________________________ Department:____________________ Job Title: _______________________________________________ Training Item

All

1. Overview Workshop

Sort

Set

Shine

Std

Sustain

X

2. Sort Workshop

X

3. Sort Implementation

X

4. Set-in-Order Workshop

X

5. Set-in-Order Implementation

X

6. Shine Workshop

X

7. Shine Implementation

X

8. SOP Workshop

X

9. Team Facilitation Training I

X

10. Team Facilitation Training II

X

11. Holding Area Management

X

X

X

X

X

12. 5 Whys

X

X

X

X

X

X

13. Visual Controls

X

X

X

X

X

X

14. Measurement

X

15. Storyboarding and 5S Displays

X

X

16. 5S Articles and Newsletters

X

X

Figure 7-2. Example of Standard Training Matrix

Date

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 18 Keep it small. Training requires a great deal of personal attention. For that reason, practical instruction and coaching on-site should involve no more than three trainees for each coach or trainer. The classroom environment should also be small. Five to nine trainees to each trainer is a good ratio for classroom instruction. This will allow for maximum discussion and sharing. Develop lesson plans. Use them. Focus on practice and coaching rather than theory, and let people learn by doing. To help trainees use what they have learned in the training, have them create their own one-point lesson sheets (refer back to Figure 6-13), tailored to their specific work areas. Remember the 5 Whys. Getting an answer and getting an answer to the question are not the same. The 5 Whys uses a systematic questioning technique to “dig” for root causes of a problem. The technique requires participants to ask “why” at least five times. Once it becomes difficult to answer, the probable cause may have been identified. The reason this technique is so effective is that it forces people to think beyond the obvious or accepted answers. This moves you from wasting time solving surface problems (over and over again) to eliminating real causes and contamination. Foster an environment that encourages self-training. Employees must be able to continue to development skills on their own. In connection with this, however, it is wise to remember that when people are too busy with daily tasks, self-development always takes a back seat. In addition to offering training, companies must create an environment where employees can pursue self-development freely and are assisted in this effort. Some companies offer correspondence courses, video or DVD programs, books, and manuals.

Step 19: Make 5S a Habit—Executive Summary Purpose: To develop the self-discipline that will make 5S a habit for everyone Who Does It: Everyone Time Frame: This is an ongoing process Procedure: 1. Make 5S a part of everyone’s regular job 2. Perform management “walk-arounds” 3. Perform scheduled 5S audits 4. Maintain ongoing communication Worksheets and Forms: Diagnostic checklist (see Figure 2-9); 5S audit form (see Figure 7-3) Starter Tips: 1. Make 5S a habit by beginning with worker awareness and attitude. 2. Encourage practice, which makes 5S a habit. 3. Involve management on a regular basis. 4. Be patient. This is an ongoing process.

Purpose of Making 5S a Habit The purpose of this step is to have your people use the 5S System automatically. If the 5Ss do not become a habit, things will fall apart: 1. Unneeded items will begin to accumulate 2. Items will be out of place and eventually people will spend more and more time searching for things 3. The office will begin to get dirtier 4. Equipment will break down more frequently 5. Jobs will take longer to perform 6. The office will run out of supplies or will over-stock 7. Employees will not feel good about working in the office In other words, you will find yourself back a square one. To avoid this scenario, you need self-discipline and a commitment to inculcating self-discipline in your employees. It’s

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165

important to note that discipline cannot be forced on anyone. People have to buy into the purpose and process of the 5S System. This takes time and patience.

Who Does It Everyone must make 5S a habit.

Step-by-step Procedure There are four primary tasks in Step 19. Each of these tasks is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Make 5S part of everyone’s regular job. 2. Perform management “walk-arounds.” 3. Perform scheduled 5S audits. 4. Maintain ongoing communication. Task 1: Make 5S a Part of Everyone’s Job Many people initially see 5S activities as “extra” work. When people get busy, the first thing that is not performed is the extra work. This is a completely natural response. The key here is to make everyone understand that 5S activities are not “extra” work but an integral part of everyone’s job. They save time and money and make work easier, safer, and more efficient. There are two ways to make it easier for employees to understand the importance of 5S and buy into 5S as “part of the job”: 1. Include 5S responsibilities in employee job descriptions. 2. Include 5S as part of formal job reviews. For example, if a person is hired as a customer service representative, his or her job description should include the typical list of job responsibilities for that position. But it should also include the following: 1. Receive Basic 5S Training. 2. Perform 5-Minute 5S at end of shift using checklist. 3. Participate in weekly 5S team activities, using SOP. 4. Participate in other 5S team activities, as scheduled. 5. Keep customer files labeled and up to date using SOP. This person’s job performance would be evaluated on customer service activities and 5S activities.

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Task 2: Perform Management Walk-arounds. Senior managers can provide a tremendous amount of energy for Office 5S with very little time investment. In fact, it is the quality, not the amount of the time invested, that is important. Senior management walk-arounds fulfill this purpose. Here are some guidelines: 1. A senior manager should perform a walk-around. 2. That manager should be trained in the 5S System. 3. Walk-arounds should be performed about once per week, but not at scheduled times. 4. The manager should only spend about five minutes at each site. 5. The manager should take a “no-blame” approach. 6. If measures or checklists are available, the manager should review those first. 7. The manager should always try to find something to compliment. 8. The manager should always look at Sort, Set in Order, and Shine conditions and ask “Why” more than once. 9. The manager should focus only on one or two issues. 10. The manager should ask employees what they need to improve conditions. 11. The manager should ask employees to take notes to prepare for the next visit. Task 3: Perform Scheduled 5S Audits. Making 5S a habit is too important to be the responsibility of one person or team. Top managers should lead the way and enlist help from everyone else, including an audit team. 5S Audits should be performed at least twice each year. The audit team can use the same diagnostic checklist used during the office scan (refer back to Figure 2-9) or create a special audit checklist (see Figure 7-3). In fact, Office 5S and Factory 5S Audits should eventually be scheduled together. Some guidelines follow. 1. The audits should be performed by a trained team. 2. All target areas should be audited at the same time. 3. The audits should be scheduled and the target areas should be notified at least two weeks prior to the audit. 4. A measurement analysis comparing current measurements with past measurements should be performed whenever possible. 5. The audits should involve a diagnostic evaluation as well as a discussion and listing of improvement possibilities. 6. Photography may be used to perform visual comparisons with previous conditions. 7. A “no-blame” approach must be taken.

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5S Audit Work Team: _______________________________________________ Date: ______________________ Target Area: _______________________________________________ Audit Team: ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Sort is to remove all items from the workplace that are not needed for current work or production activities. 2. Set in Order is to arrange needed items so they are easy to use, find, and put away. 3. Shine is to clean floors, equipment, and make sure everything in the workplace stays clean. Machinery, equipment, and tools are inspected for defects during cleaning activities. 4. Standardize is to create and work a plan to maintain the first three Ss—Sort, Set in Order and Shine. 5. Sustain is to maintain correct procedures, develop positive habits, and achieve total employee involvement and ownership of their workplace.

Category Sort

Check Item

Number of deficiencies found

Comments

Have the work team members used the “red tag”method to distinguish between what is and isn’t needed in the work area? Has the team created a red tag holding area for unneeded items?

Figure 7-3. Example of 5S Audit (Partial Example)

Task 4: Maintain Ongoing Communication. Each activity in Office 5S must have a real purpose and not be performed because it seems like “a good idea.” This is especially true of communication activities. In fact, you should make a habit of evaluating your communication methods because what was effective a few months ago might not be effective now. Figure 7-4 shows some highly effective standard 5S communication cools for the office environment. By now you may be asking yourself, “How do I know what works and what doesn’t work?” There are two primary rules that will keep you on the right track: 1. Always involve your staff in the development and implementation of communication methods. 2. Keep asking and keep improving methods. There are as many communication tools as there are 5S teams. Every team should create the tools that work for them. The method doesn’t matter. What matters is that everyone continues to learn more about the 5S System and also continues to implement it in new ways.

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Communication Tool Newsletters

Description Internal newsletter featuring 5S information, ideas, pictures, etc.

Frequency 1–2 per month

5S Information Boards

A visual newsletter on bulletin board using larger visuals, pictures, graphics, measures, etc.

Weekly

Visual Metrics

Shows measures, graphs, charts

Weekly

5S Photo Exhibits Articles

5S Pocket Guide Signboards/ One-Point Lessons

Publicizes 5S conditions via photo exhibits and comment displays

2 per year

More formal write-ups on 5S activities that can also be used outside the company, which deepens 5S understanding

As needed

Small pocket-size manuals containing descriptions of 5S activities

Continuous

Information on implementing the 5S System

Improvement Memos 5S Job Cycle Charts

Continuous, as needed

Small memos written by anyone trained in 5S and continuous improvement—distributed to appropriate people at workplaces they visit

Continuous

Charts that show 5S duties

Continuous

Figure 7-4. Office 5S Communication Tools

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 19 Recognize the difference between offices that have implemented the 5S System and those that haven’t. The authors recently visited two offices on the same day. The first office had not yet implemented Office 5S. It was a new office with a modern design. All desks and office equipment were new. The lighting was excellent, and the view of a pond and gardens outside the windows was spectacular. But signs of clutter and lack of order were already visible. There were paper clips and scraps of paper on the floor, and some of the corners were turning into storage areas. The office manager who was showing us around didn’t seem to notice. He just stepped on those things or over things as if they didn’t exist. That afternoon, we visited an office that had completed the Office 5S training. As the office manager showed us the office, she noticed a paper clip on the floor. Without pausing or even stopping the conversation, she picked it up. For her, this was a habit and the normal thing to do. Making 5S a habit begins with awareness and attitude. Case Study: 9 Lessons for making 5S a habit. One company, the manufacturer of trampolines and swing sets with a plant of over 500,000 square feet and office space of about 20,000 square feet, faced with how to make 5S a habit in all its offices after training and implementation were completed, came up with this plan:

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169

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 19, continued 1. First, company management selected a group of three people and called them the “Lessons Learned” Team. These three were the receptionist, a customer service supervisor, and the office manager. 2. Next, the company asked everyone who had gone through 5S for the Office training to list the nine most important lessons they had learned in the process of 5S training and implementation. They were asked to summarize each lesson in one sentence. 3. After everyone submitted his or her list, the Lessons Learned Team categorized various lessons learned, did some editing, and created a composite list. 4. The composite list consisted of 17 lessons learned. 5. Everyone was then asked to vote for the top nine lessons learned. These top nine would become a master list posted at every worksite as a reminder. Figure 7-5 shows the “9 Lessons Learned for Making 5S a Habit.”

9 Lessons for Making 5S a Habit 1. 5S makes our job easier, safer, and faster, and saves the company money—without 5S, waste will build up and get in our way. 2. When in doubt, take it out. 3. A place for everything, and everything in its place. 4. Always look for the source of the problem. 5. If you do it NOW, there’s less to do later. 6. Inspect before work, inspect through cleaning, do the 5-Minute 5S. 7. Immediately ask WHY when conditions are wrong—and keep asking “why” until you know. 8. One picture is worth a thousand words. 9. Always remember NO BLAME. Figure 7-5. 9 Lessons Learned for Making 5S a Habit

The brilliant thing about this process was that it was a learning process in and of itself. Moreover, the end product had complete buy-in from everyone because it was a product of each person’s own work, not the work of some outside trainer or manager. “Off-the-wall” in-service training. One 5S group from a hospital ER in Houston, Texas, decided to call its ongoing communication and training about 5S the “Off-theWall In-service Training Program” because participants literally read it off the wall (it was hung on a wall in the nurses’ restroom). A different lesson plan was hung each week, and each person was asked to sign the list after reading it. Figure 7-6 shows this simple method. continued on next page

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 19, continued

Figure 7-6. Picture of the Off-the-Wall In-Service Training Program

Step 20: Continue to Improve—Executive Summary Purpose: To implement a process of continuous improvement using the5S System Who Does It: Everyone who works in the office, either individually, in ongoing teams or departments, or during periodic kaizen events (half-day to three-day improvement events with very specific objectives) Time Frame: Ongoing Procedure: 1. Ensure management support. 2. Use a systematic method for improvement. Worksheets and Forms: Continuous improvement worksheet (See Figure 7-9); favorable environment checklist (see Figure 7-8) Starter Tips: 1. Recognize that management support and participation is crucial. 2. Keep in mind that a systematic, scientific method for improvement will make improvement seem natural, almost easy. 3. Remember, this is a method to use after you have implemented the 5S System. It works as continuous improvement, not initial improvement. 4. Use the method in sequence. If you don’t, it won’t work. 5. Encourage catchball (described in Step 1, Chapter 1), which will allow for an environment of total employee involvement.

Purpose of Continuous Improvement Ultimately the only thing that will sustain 5S in the office is the incorporation of a process that ensures a steady supply of new ideas. Put another way, if you are not moving forward, you are moving backward. The implementation of new 5S ideas, and the involvement of all employees, will keep your office growing and alive. If you have performed all of the steps explained before this one, then you have a strong foundation for continuous improvement.

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Who Does It Everyone continues to improve. However, this may be performed in one of three ways: • Individually • In ongoing teams or departments • During periodic kaizen events. These events last anywhere from four hours to three days, have very specific improvement objectives, and combine some education with a great deal of implementation.

Step-by-step Procedure There are two primary tasks in Step 20. Each task is described in detail in the following sections. 1. Ensure management support. 2. Use a systematic method for improvement. Task 1: Ensure Management Support Step 1 for the implementation of 5S for the Office was to “Get Management Involvement.” Step 20 focuses on the importance of management support. A lot of ground has been covered between these two steps of the 5S System, but the importance of management has remained a constant even though the 5S System operation has radically changed by now. When you began 5S implementation, it was primarily a “top-down” operation: only a few people shared the initiatives, knowledge, and authority to apply the 5S for the Office System. By now, everyone should be generating initiatives and ideas. In addition, everyone should be trained in the 5S System, and it shouldn’t surprise you if the most knowledgeable people are frontline workers. Furthermore, authority to implement changes should now be shared throughout your organization. This new environment of change and employee involvement requires solid management commitment. Specifically: • If individuals are going to make improvements on their own, they need time to do so, management support and coaching, and a quick turn-around of ideas. For example, one organization, a plastics extrusion manufacturer, invited the authors to conduct three full days of 5S training. The attitude and spirit of the participants was marvelous! In three days, the workplace was completely transformed. Unfortunately, no follow-up time was allowed. People who wanted to continue using 5S principles had to do so on their own time. Something that began as an excellent initiative turned into a problem. If the company had allowed the participants to put their ideas into practice just 30 minutes every other week, it could have been successful. Instead, within six months, the workplace reverted to its pretraining condition. • If ongoing teams or departments are going to make improvements they need regular meeting time, management involvement in those meetings, and some authority to make changes.

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173

• If improvement is going to happen during periodic kaizen events, time must be set aside for this purpose, the events must be scheduled, managers must participate, and training must be provided to coincide with the events. Step 1 introduced the concept of catchball, which allows any group to introduce a 5S project by filling out a team charter as long as the charter is then thrown to other stakeholders until all issues are resolved. Figure 7-7 revisits this concept.

Management

Project Team

Shop Floor

Figure 7-7. Catchball

In Step 20, the concept of catchball comes full circle. It accomplishes three very important things: 1. To share, improve, and gain consensus for individual, team, and department ideas 2. To ensure that everyone who should give input does give input 3. To provide an environment of “total employee involvement.” This is perhaps the most powerful effect catchball has on an organization. Task 2: Use a Systematic Method for Improvement. At this stage—the stage of continuous improvement—you should be looking at each problem or issue systematically. Some problems can be solved immediately. However, if these problems (or similar problems) resurface, you may need to dig deeper. One company quickly realized that creating and labeling an “in” box for order entry was not going to solve the problem of “lost” orders. It had to study the problem systematically, and it found that many orders weren’t lost at all—they had never arrived because they had not been sent by the customer. Other orders were poorly addressed and never reached the order entry department. Still others had been entered and then erased. This was a complex, multifaceted problem that required a systematic method of problem solving. In the past, when a problem occurred, you probably fixed what you perceived to be the problem. The major concern was to get back “on line” as soon as possible, and quick-fix solutions were the standard approach to this. All too often, the same problem soon came back. It was frustrating. Root causes were seldom found, and few measurements were taken. The 5S System, if systematically approached, leads to better results. In fact, it will make problem solving seem natural, almost easy. A perfect example is from the Lee Blake Precision Manufacturing Quality Team. The team’s initial problem seemed to be that employees had too little time or too few people (there were three people) to meet the demands of their jobs. By creating a visual board that showed what job should be done, the timing of that job, and who would do it, the company found it did indeed have enough manpower. It also found that “too

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little time” was a result of poor prioritizing. After resetting priorities, posting them on the visual board, and encouraging people to stick with the new priorities, the team got much better results. Applying a Systematic Improvement Process There are six primary tasks in any systematic improvement process. It is important to note that these tasks are to be used after you have implemented the 5S System. They focus on continuous improvement, not initial improvement. It is also important to use these tasks in sequence. If you don’t, the methodology won’t work. 1. Identify and select a problem. 2. Analyze the problem. 3. Generate potential solutions. 4. Select and plan solutions. 5. Implement solutions. 6. Evaluate implementation and standardize. Employee Rewards and Recognition If you really want continuous improvement, you will need more than a scientific method for improvement. This book has addressed the importance of measurement, the role that managers play, and the significance of training. To get the best results, you must also add reward and recognition to this mix. There is a right way and wrong way to this. Forget monetary rewards entirely because they can have the nasty side effect of introducing greed and inappropriate competitiveness into the system. People always think they deserve more or think the wrong person got the reward. Someone who had the same or a similar idea may feel his or her idea was stolen. Frankly, this happens more than you may think, and the disgruntled person is often right. No idea belongs to one person. New ideas evolve from previous ideas and from people working together. If monetary rewards are to be given, teams and groups should receive them. In most cases, especially with individuals, recognition is better than reward. It is very important to recognize individual effort. But this should also be done carefully and judiciously. A personal “thank you” or compliment for a job well done is often more effective than the traditional “employee of the month” award. Create a Favorable Environment Favorable work environments are not always obvious because they are felt more than seen. They are often characterized by an intangible positive energy that has a positive impact on everything and everyone. It is not easy to figure out, but it is easy to feel where it exists and where it doesn’t exist. Each company is unique, but companies with a favorable environment share some common traits: • No blame • A high degree of communication

Step 20: Continue to Improve—Executive Summary

• • • • • •

175

Clear leadership and direction, with participation from frontline workers Creative ideas coming from frontline workers Trust and respect (priority) Ongoing training and learning (high priority) Many types of teams Extensive management involvement and support

In a favorable work environment, real, lasting continuous improvement happens. Use the checklist presented in Figure 7-8 to determine whether your own office has a favorable environment. Favorable Environment Checklist Area _____________________________________________________ Date _____________________ Note: Qualitatively rate each issue from 1 to 10, 1 being poor and 10 being excellent. When the rating for all ten issues are added, you will have a sense of the environment. Rating

Issue

_____

No blame environment

_____

Degree of communication

_____

Clarity of leadership and direction

_____

Degree of management participation and support

_____

Degree of front-line participation and support

_____

Degree that creative ideas flow from front line and are used

_____

Degree that trust and respect is shown by all people

_____

Degree that training and learning is a high priority

_____

Degree that time is allowed for improvement and self-development

_____

Degree that humor and good will is obvious

_____

Total Figure 7-8. Favorable Environment Checklist

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 20 Make it visual. One company wanted to facilitate the improvement process by linking individual and team ideas, so they created a visual improvement board (shown in Figure 7-9) and card system. The steps below show how this works. 1. Any time a person notices a problem or issue for improvement, he or she fills out a yellow card and posts it in the appropriate box in row 1, designating whether it is a problem having to do with Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, or Sustain. 2. When a person or team begins to study the problem, further information is written on the card (or other cards), and moved to row 2. 3. When a person or team begins to brainstorm possible solutions, blue cards are filled out and posted in row 3. It should be noted that one problem that began in Sort might lead to many possible solutions, including solutions for other Ss.

5S Visual Improvement Board SORT

SET

SHINE

STD.

SUSTAIN

(1) Problems

(2) Problem Analysis (3) Possible Solutions (4) Solutions Being Tested Figure 7-9. 5S Visual Improvement Board

4. When a team or department decides to plan and test a solution, the blue card is moved into row 4, and appropriate information is recorded on the card. 5. When the test is successful, the card is removed from the board, and a standard is written.

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177

Observations From the 5S Office on Step 20, continued Eliminate all suggestion boxes. If you have suggestion boxes, get rid of them immediately! Ideas should not be submitted anonymously and “into the void.” They should be given to the employee’s group leader or supervisor or brought up at a team meeting. If the idea is off-target, the employee will learn why. One thing to remember, however, is that even “off-target” ideas often help a group learn something important. Consider using On Error Training. In his book Managerial Engineering,1 Dr. Ryuji Fukuda introduced a system to utilize errors for learning called On Error Training (OET). OET was developed as a way for workers to learn from problems and errors and to systematically use what they had learned to improve. It is a structured team activity for analyzing the causes of mistakes, problems, and accidents and discussing how to prevent their recurrence. OET takes its name from the fact that the activity depends on workers training one another based on actual workplace experiences. If appropriate, countermeasures developed to prevent the recurrence of an accident are then communicated in a one-point lesson and distributed to teams in other work areas. In conjunction with the 5S System, OET is an excellent method to help teams prevent recurrence of 5S problems by controlling the conditions that cause them. A structured approach to analyzing problem conditions is an excellent means of maximizing the opportunity to learn from unfortunate events. A step-by-step procedure for OET follows: 1. Report the problem. 2. Call a meeting. 3. Play back the event. 4. Discuss issues and problems. 5. Brainstorm opportunities for prevention. 6. Create an action plan. Use a systematic method for improvement. One improvement method that has become quite popular is called the 8D Method. The 8D is short for “eight disciplines,” which are eight distinct steps in a systematic process for solving problems. These steps are always sequential, each step building upon the previous step. Failure to complete one will usually result in poor implementation in the next (a waste of time and resources). The eight steps for implementation are: 1. Launch the project team. 2. Define the problem. 3. Implement containment actions. 4. Identify root causes. continued on next page 1. Productivity Press, 1983.

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Observations From the 5S Office on Step 20, continued 5. Develop and verify solutions. 6. Implement corrective actions. 7. Prevent problem recurrence. 8. Recognize the team’s effort. Figure 7-10 shows a worksheet that a foundry in Michigan uses to incorporate the 8Ds into its improvement activities. Remember the purpose of Step 20: To use the 5S System to improve the office workplace continuously. You will find that the 5S system provides a method for solving nearly any problem in the office. Authors’ postscript. This book evolved from many years of studying and working with the 5S System. The examples cited are real examples of experiences we observed and had the opportunity to change for the better. In writing this book, our intention was to show office managers a way to control work rather than let work control them. We hope that we have succeeded in this endeavor and that the tools and strategies discussed in this book serve you well!

Step 20: Continue to Improve—Executive Summary

Date: 11/15

File #: P1001

179

Location: Purchasing/Receiving/Pkg

1. List the Team Members

Champion: Team Leader: Facilitator: Recorder: Team Member:

Name Matt Ring Doug Wrignt Tom Fabrizio Lorie Cline Mary Stafford

Job/Area of Expertise Operations Manager Office Manager Consultant Admin. Asst. Purchasing & Receiving

2. Define the problem (what, when, where, how big) Too many # 13 & 14 packing boxes on hand and in storage, but we keep reordering more without knowing if we even need them. 3. Interim Containment Actions (temporary & immediate) Count and reorder only what we use monthly—keep one month extra on hand.

4. Root Cause of Problem Order quantities are not based on what we use, they are “pushed” on us by vendor timing and convenience.

5. Permanent Solutions – Create kanban system with minimum and maximums. – Change vendors. – Implement electronic reorder system. 6. Plan/Verification of Corrective Actions – Change vendors by 12/1 – Implement kanban by 12/21 – Implement bar codes and electronic reorder by Feb 1. 7. Standards/Methods to Prevent Recurrence – Mary will inspect daily. – Incorporate into management audit. – Create SOP as part of Quality Audits. 8. How was the team effort recognized? Pizza lunch and congratulations at company meeting Copies To: All team members Post on activities board Figure 7-10. Example of an 8D Worksheet

Index

Anxiety, 3 Audits, of 5S, 166–67 Baseline data, 43, 45, 49, 50–51 Blue cards, 108 Brainstorm ideas, 108 Business office, living organism as, 4 Catchball accomplishments of, 173 defined, 15 goals achieved by, 15–16 project measures and, 44 Cell design, 103–4 Cell supply storage, 106 Cleaning. See also Maintenance for rapid-fire desk, 104–5 shine and inspect through, 119–30 shine plan implementation methods, 128–29 Communication lack of, 6 maximizing, 103 ongoing, 167–68 tools, 168 Desk, rapid-fire order, 104–6 Deterioration prevention/inspection, 137 Document(s) documentation process for, 114 orderliness for, 113–14 storage, 127, 144 Doors, elimination of, 106–7 Drawers, elimination of, 106–7 8D Method, 177–79 Employee favorable environment of, 174–75 rewards and recognition, 174 total employment involvement, 173 Environment, 3 favorable, 174–75 no-blame, 153 Equipment, 127

downtime waste of, 7 maintenance, 137 Error training, 177 Factory shop floor, 109, 173 FIFO (first in, first out), 106 Filing methods, 143 5S System. See also Habit, of 5S System 7 deadly wastes in office solved by, 5–8 7 phases of, 9 differences in offices using, 168 5-minute, 136 history of, 2–3 measures used in, 46 mini-5S, 104 necessity of, 4 office job list, 134–35 office scan checklist for, 59 procedures for, 2 sequence of, 3 storyboard example for, 64 Flow, process design based on, 102–4 improving, 101–2 large items in, 112 place with lack of, 112 Gleason cutting tools, 14 Habit, of 5S System, 164–70 communication ongoing in, 167–68 lessons in making, 169 management walk-arounds for, 165 as part of each job, 165 procedures of, 164, 165–68 purpose of, 164–65 scheduled 5S audits with, 165–67 starter tips for, 164 summary of, 168–70 Heavy items, 102 Holding area, 84. See also Sorted items, holding area for

181

182

Index

Implementation team, 29–38 charter example of, 33 forming of, 30–33 launch agenda for, 32–33 launch meeting, facilitator of, 37–38 launch meeting, planning of, 32–33 map current state of target done by, 92 meeting, effective guidelines for, 38 meeting information form, distribution of, 34 meeting information form, sample of, 35, 36 office scan checklist done by, 58 photograph current conditions done by, 53 procedure steps for, 29, 30–35 project champion and team leader in, 30 project champion, example profile of, 39 project launching guidelines for, 33–34 project measures done by, 44 project storyboard done by, 364 purpose of, 30, 38 set-in-order and, 100, 110–11 shine plan done by, 122, 127 sorting by, 72, 78, 79, 82 standards for ideal state done by, 134 starter tips for, 29 status reports for, summary of, 37 team leader selecting, 30–31 team membership in, 31–32 team status report example of, 37 visual controls done by, 147 Improvement, 171–79 8D Method for, 177–79 error training for, 177 goals, 60 management support for, 172–73 procedures of, 171, 172–75 purpose of, 171 starter tips for, 171 of suggestion boxes eliminated, 177 summary for, 176–79 systematic method for, 173–75, 177–78 visual, board, 176 Individuals, 58, 109, 172 Inspection, waste of, 7–8 Inventory and storage, waste of, 7 Japanese 5S System, 2–3 Just-in time information, 153 Kaizen events, 172, 173 Kanban, office supply kanban cards for all supplies in, 142–43 minimum/maximum levels in, 142 model for, 141

setting up, 141–43 using, 141 Kitchen, 130 Labeling, 54–55, 94–95, 115–16 Launch agenda for, 32–33 meeting facilitator for, 37–38 planning of, 32–33 Lean manufacturing, 1 Lee Blake Precision, Inc., 4, 25–26, 64, 173 Lesson plans, training, 160–61 Lines, 114–15 Maintenance autonomous, 136–38 equipment, 136–37 personnel, 137–38 Management, 14–20, 145, 147 catchball, project champion and, 15–16, 173 commitment of time/follow through of, 14, 20 department, 22 improvement supported by, 172–73 procedures for, 16–18 profit motive for, 20 project champions chosen by, 14, 15, 16–17 project proposal by-in, 17 project proposal worksheet, for, 19 proposal approval by, 17 purpose of, 13–14 summary of, 20 Management commitment checklist adjustments to, 18 components of, 17–18 Management, senior, 22, 166 function of, 14 project champion chosen by, 13–14, 16 Map, current state of target, 91–98, 108, 134 area identification of, 92 area map/arrow diagram worksheet example of, 97 implementation team responsible for, 92 large items drawing in, 92–93 office area map example of, 95 people working in area drawn in, 94 procedures for, 91, 92–96 purpose of, 91 significant items labeled in, 94–95 smaller items drawn in, 93 starter tips for, 91 summary of, 98 target area shape outline of, 92

Index

walking, transportation and conveyance flow shown in, 94 yellow cards problems/facts shown with, 95–96 Measurements. See Project measures No-blame environment, 153 Office, inefficiency in, 1 Office on wheels, 107–8 Office project proposal, 17 Office scan, 41–67 current conditions photographing with, 52–56 project measures/baseline data in, 43–51 project storyboard posting of, 63–67 scan checklist application of, 57–62 Office scan checklist, 57–62 checklist example of, 59 implementation team responsible for, 58 individuals performing in, 58 initial scores and improvement goals for, 60 line item ratings for, 59 line item scores for, 58–60 office scans follow up for, 61 office wide visual displays for, 61 procedures for, 57, 58–61 purpose of, 57–58 scan sheet date entry for, 58 starter tips for, 57 summary of, 62 total scores for, 60–61 Off-the-wall in-service training, 169–70 Operation, 102–3 Order processing, 4 Ordering, 2 Orderliness. See Set-in-order plan; Set-in-order process, applied Organizing, Japanese system of, 2 Overprotecting, waste of, 4–5 Pareto chart, 153 visual displays with, 47, 50 Photograph current conditions, 52–56 directions, hints and, 53 equipment and supplies for, 53 implementation team responsible for, 53 label photographs for, 54–55 photo shoot follow up date plan in, 55 photo shots potential identified for, 54 photographs taken and produced for, 54 photography method fixed position in, 54 procedures for, 52, 53–55 purpose of, 53 starter tips for, 52

183

summary of, 56 visual display for, 55 Preparation, of the project, 11–39 management involvement in, 13–20 target identification in, 21–28 team implementation for, 29–38 Problems causes of, 8, 144–45 solved by teamwork, 8 Process, 103 Process flow. See Flow, process Profit motive, 20 Project champions choosing/becoming, 14, 15, 16–17 defined, 15, 17 duties of, 13 example profile of, 39 by location, 16 management involvement, catchball and, 15–16, 173 qualities of, 17 target areas identified by, 22 team leader, implementation and, 30 Project measures, 43–51 baseline data for, 43, 49 baseline data form designed for, 49 baseline data gathering and posting in, 50–51 catchball role in, 44 category analysis for, 47 data reporting in, 50 developing method for, 46 failures avoided in, 44 5S for the office best measures used in, 46 implementation team responsible for, 44 improvement measure selection in, 45–46 measurement data for, 50 measurement recording’s frequency in, 48 measurement stratification in, 47 objectives and measures example form for, 46 pareto charts and, 47, 50 planning worksheet for, 47–48, 48 procedures for, 43, 45–50 purpose of, 44 reducing waste, 45 starter tips for, 43 strategic alignment for, 45 summary of, 51 team member responsible for, 48 Project proposal management approval and, 17 worksheet, 19 Pull system, 106 Rapid-fire order desk, 104–6

184

Index

grouping of items in, 104 removal of everything in, 104 visually controlled drawer in, 105 Red tag box example, 85 creation of, 73 evaluation and disposal of items, 85 examples of, 74, 76 holding areas, unnecessary items and, 84 Rewards/recognition, 174 Senses, 129 Set-in-order, definition of, 3, 167 Set-in-order and set limits, 89–117 map the current state of the target area, 91–98 set-in-order plan developed in, 99–109 set-in-order process applied in, 110–17 Set-in-order plan, 99–109, 106–7 brainstorm ideas with blue cards in, 108 design from process flow, 102–4 elimination of drawers/doors in, 106–7, 109 implementation team responsible for, 100 improving flow in, 101–2 map of, 108 office on wheels set up in, 107–8 procedures for, 99, 100–109 purpose of, 99–100 rapid-fire order desk with, 104–6 starter tips of, 99 strategies developed for, 101–2 strategies overview for, 100–101 summary of, 109 supermarket system for supplies in, 106 visual displays, controls and, 108 Set-in-order process, applied, 110–17 criteria checklist for, 112–13 documentation process for, 114 implementation team responsible for, 110 items moved to appropriate place in, 111–15 labels in, 115–16 lines in, 114–15 orderliness for documents in, 113–14 problem areas selected for, 111 procedure for, 110 procedures for, 110, 111–17 purpose of, 110 review, 111 signboards in, 115–16 standard operating procedures for, 112, 115–16, 139 starter tips for, 110 summary of, 117 where things belong in, 111–16

Shine cleaning, inspection and, 121–25 definition of, 3, 167 Shine criteria, 121–25 cleaning activity of, 123–24 criteria checklist for, 123–24 implementation team responsible for, 122 procedures for, 121, 122–25 purpose of, 121 standard operating procedure for, 122–23, 140 starter tips for, 121 summary for, 125 Shine plan implementation, 126–30 cleaning methods for, 128–29 implementation team responsible for, 127 initial cleaning, inspection and, 128–29 procedures for, 126, 127–29 purpose of, 126–27 senses used in, 129 starter tips for, 126 summary, 129–30 targets, assignments and, 127–28 Signboard strategy, 149–51 types, 150–51 Sort, definition of, 3, 167 Sorted items, holding area for, 77–81 holding area manager selection of, 79 holding area posted instructions example of, 80 holding area selection in, 78–79 implementation team member responsible for, 78, 79 operation guidelines creation for, 79 procedures for, 77, 78–81, 102 purpose of, 77 starter tips for, 77 summary of, 81 unneeded items log and, 79, 80 visually control the holding area in, 80–81 Sorting, criteria for, 69–87, 102 application task lists creation for, 72 application tasks example list for, 73 develop criteria for sorting, 71–72 implementation team responsible for, 72 item disposition checklist creation for, 75 item disposition checklist example for, 75 overview for, 69 procedures for, 71, 72–75 purpose of, 71 red tag example for, 74 red tag misuse in, 73 red tags creation of, 73 sort inspection sheet creation for, 72

Index

sort inspection sheet example for, 74 sort questions on red tag example for, 76 sorting development criteria of, 71–76 sorting in, 82–87 sorting items holding area for, 77–81 standards for, 138–39 starter tips for, 71 summary of, 76 Sorting, start, 82–87 implementation team member responsible for, 83 procedures for, 82, 83–85 purpose of, 83 red tag box example of, 85 red tags attached to unnecessary items in, 84 red tags, forms, holding areas preparation of, 84 red-tagged items evaluated and disposed in, 85 red-tagging alternatives and, 84 sort review criteria for, 84 starter tips for, 82 summary of, 86–87 temporary holding area and unnecessary items removed in, 84 Standardize, 2, 3, 131–53, 167 ideal state standards for the, 133–45 systematically created, 8 visual controls implemented for, 146–53 Standards, for ideal state, 133–45 autonomous maintenance implemented in, 136–38 document storage in, 144 filing methods in, 143 5-minute 5S, 136 implementation team responsible for, 134 map of standard area in, 134 office supply kanban, 141–43 other standards for, 138–44 procedures for, 133, 134–44 purpose of, 133 for set-in-order, 139 for shine, 140 for sort, 138–39 starter tips for, 133 success from, 145 summary of, 143, 144–45 3S integrated into daily work with, 135–36 3S responsibilities in, 134 of training matrix, 161–62 Storage, 102 cell/team, 106 document, 127, 144 intermediate, 113–14 items, 127

185

ready access, 113 remote, 114 supermarket system for, 106 wide and shallow, 102 Storyboard, project, 63–67 audience identification for, 65 content category list example of, 67 develop, create, and post in, 66 5S example of, 64 implementation team responsible for, 64 information and illustrations for, 66 posting location for, 65 primary objectives of, 63 procedures for, 63, 64–66 purpose of, 63 starter tips for, 63 summary of, 67 target statement for, 65–66 Suggestion boxes, 177 Supermarket system, for supplies, 106 Supplies kanban cards for all, 142–43 supermarket system for, 106 Sustain, 2 definition of, 3, 167 Sustain gains, 155–79 continual improvement in, 171–79 5S habit with, 164–70 training for all in, 157–63 Target areas, 21–28. See also Map, current state of target chosen by, 21–22 department managers role with, 22 early identification of, 21 identifying all discrete, 23 identifying, purpose of, 21–28 intended functions of, 23, 25 launch area choosing of, 27 level A high priority, 25–26 level B medium priority, 26 level C low priority, 26 priority levels chosen in, 25–26 priority levels specifying, 27 procedures for, 22–27 project champions identifying, 22 senior managers role with, 22 summary of, 28 Team. See also Implementation team customer based, 103 improvement supported by, 172 storage, 106 Team member

186

Index

individual vs., 109 project champion and team leader as, 30 project champions choosing/becoming, 15, 16–17 project measures responsible for, 48 storyboard project and choosing of, 64–65 team leader selected by, 30–31 Telephones, 105 Training, 157–63 awareness of, 158–59 designated team implementing, 158 error, 177 five whys of, 159–60, 163 implementation of, 158, 160, 161–62 lesson plans and materials for, 160–61, 163 off-the-wall in-service, 169–70 plan for, 158–61 procedures, 157, 158–62 purpose of, 157 self, 163 skills, 159 standard, matrix, 161–62 starter tips for, 157 summary of, 163 understanding, 159–60 Unnecessary motion, waste of, 6 Visual controls, 143, 146–53 definition of, 147 identity control points of, 147–48 implementation of, 148–51 implementation team, supervisors and, 147 improvement board, 176 information as part of workplace, 151–52 office scan checklist, displays and, 61

pareto chart, displays and, 47, 50 photograph current conditions, displays and, 55 procedures for, 146, 147–52 purpose of, 146–47, 152 set-in-order plan, displays and, 108 signboard strategy for, 149–51 sorted items for holding area for, 80–81 starter tips for, 146 summary of, 153 types of, 148–52 visual metrics, 148–49 of visually controlled drawer, 105 Waiting waste of, 6 Waste(s), 1, 103–4, 145 7 deadly, 5–8 communication, lack of, 6 correction and rework, 5 equipment downtime, 7 inspection, 7–8 inventory and storage, 7 orderliness reducing, 100 overprotecting, 6–7 project measures reducing, 45 unnecessary motion, 6 waiting, 6 worker identification of, 4–5 Wide and shallow storage, 102 Workers, environment of, 3 Yellow card as problem cards, 108 target area map and, 95–96

About the Authors

Tom Fabrizio has been implementing just-in-time systems for over twenty years in a wide range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, plastic molding and extrusion, food processing, pharmaceutical, and in hospitals and health clinics. Early in his career, Tom served as a trainer/consultant at Productivity Inc., where he worked closely with Dr. Shigeo Shingo (co-architect of TPS) and Dr. Ryuji Fukuda (Sumitomo)—leading experts in manufacturing improvement—and with TPM experts from the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance. Later, when Tom took over as Director of Product Development at Productivity Inc., he was responsible for creating and customizing workshops, simulations, video packages, and other learning systems. Tom was principal developer on Ford’s Lean Metric System and co-authored Productivity’s highly acclaimed Operator Series, which continues to be a bestseller. After leaving Productivity in the mid-1990s, Tom co-founded the Healthcare Coalition, whose purpose it was to implement lean in the medical industry. He returned to manufacturing when he started Lean Manufacturing Tools, whose current and past clients include Ford Motor Company, Colgate Palmolive, Lee Blake Precision Machining, Melling Engine Parts, Hedstrom Corporation, Georgia Pacific, Mack Truck, MidAmerican Products, Eaton Aeroquip, Stanley Tool/Hydraulics, Dana Cancer/Boston, St. Charles Medical Center, Blue Cross-Blue Shield/Mass., Northrup Grumman Corporation, and Gleason Cutting Tools. Tom holds an engineering degree from Tufts University, a Master’s Degree in Education from Northeastern University, and a Law Degree from the New England School of Law. He is an adjunct professor at Baker College (Michigan) and managing editor for the Running Lean Digest, a newsletter published by the National Association of Job Shops. Tom teaches a full curriculum in Lean Manufacturing. Notwithstanding his academic credentials, Tom’s greatest passion is frontline change, including shopfloor and office transformation. Publications • • • • •

The 5S System: Video and Training Set (Teletrain, 1997) Value Stream Management: Video and Training Set (Productivity Press, 2001) 5S for Safety: Video and Training Set (Productivity Press, 2000) Lean Tooling (Society for Manufacturing Engineers, 2003) The Lean Pocket Guide (Quality Resource Group, 2003)

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About the Authors

5S for the Office User’s Guide (MCS Media, 2004) 5S for the Office (Productivity Press, 2006) Goals, Measurements, and Results (MCS Media, 2004) The Lean Primer (MCS Media, 2005)

Don Tapping has worked over twenty-five years to eliminate waste and improve bottomline results. Don authored the best-selling book Value Stream Management for the Lean Office (Productivity Press, 2003), Who Hollered Fore?, and numerous other books on business performance—setting the bar for administrative lean improvements. Numerous organizations have benefited from his ability to design step-by-step implementation methodologies for identifying processes that require improvement and then introducing proactive steps to improve or redesign them, thereby reducing costs, boosting performance, and increasing customer (patient) satisfaction. Don has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.