UNIVERSITI TEKNIKAL MALAYSIA MELAKA

Quality Improvement Using 5S Concept In Manufacturing Industry

Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the

Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka for the Degree of
Bachelor of Manufacturing Engineering
(Manufacturing Management)

By

SARVIN S/O SILVARAJO

Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering

April 2008

ABSTRACT

This thesis focuses on the quality improvement at WINCO Precision

Engineering (WPE) a precision machining company for Panasonics air conditioners,
compressors and refrigerator equipments. The objective of this research is to identify
the current Quality Management System (QMS) implemented in this company while
carrying out their operation. From this, the current quality problems that the
company face will also be identified and studied. As conclusion to this research,
recommendations and solutions to the problem faced will be suggested to the
companys management to improve the current quality system as well as increase
efficiency.
This research only focuses on problem faced in the production section of the
company. Only issues regarding to method of handling in quality will be address and
none of the mechanical and machinery factor will be covered in this research. In
order to gather and analyze the data related to the quality some of Statistical Quality
Control (SQC) tools were used such as pareto chart, histogram, cause and effect
diagram and control chart. In improving the quality related problem faced by the
production section of the company, suggestions based on 5S quality concept will be
used as an approach to solve the problems faced. All suggestions given to solve
quality problem will be based on 5 quality pillars of 5S concept which is seiri,
seiton, seiso, shitsuke and seiketsu.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In pursuing this research, I would like to thank several people who have
contributed to this endeavour. The following individuals provided valuable
comments on earlier drafts of the work: Mr Abdul Rahman Bin Mahmood as my
official supervisor, Prof. Madya Dr. Adi Saptari as the head of Manufacturing
Engineering Faculty who is also my second reader and others lecturers who have
significantly help, whether directly or not. Special thanks to all staff of WINCO
Precision Engineering (WPE) especially to the top managements for their permission
and support in allowing me to perform my research at the companys plant.
I would also like to thank my family members especially my mother for her
love and support in helping me to overcome the hurdles in pursuing and performing
this research. Also not forgetting, special thanks to my friends who have supported
and guided me in doing this research. A very huge appreciation also would like to be
given to all the academic staff from Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering (FKP)
and all the office staffs for their courage and support.

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1

Story of quality and 5S concept

During the time of World War II, it virtually destroyed the production capability
of Europe and Asia. On the contrary, the United States (U.S) production
capability greatly expanded since their major emphasis was on quantity and not
quality production. However, as poor as it was in quality, the U.S still produced
the best in the world compared to other nations. In late 1940s, Dr. W. Edwards
Deming, a U.S quality control expert began working with the Japanese and
continued doing so periodically for several years.
The Japanese developed the quality circle concept during the early 1960 and 20
years later, the concept had expanded to more than a million organizations. At
the same time, Dr. Genichi Taguchi, a Japanese quality expert, introduced new
statistical concept that was invaluable in improving process and product quality.
Due to this improvement, Japanese industry ultimately has developed in various
technologies all over the world. Following in their footsteps, U.S made some
drastic changes in strengthening their power in the global age. Example of their
improvement is:Ford Motor Company decided to do things differently following the Japanese.
From the beginning all the disciplines from design through assembly to

marketing came on stream in unison. All of the relevant disciplines therefore

interacted and contributed from the beginning. The plant was modernized and
Ford personnel visited assembly plants, manufacturing facilities, major
suppliers. The Ford employee was also asked what they would like to see in a
new car (Waterman, 1987).
Besides all kinds of quality improvement techniques developed, one of the most
famous is the 5S concept developed by the Japanese. (Osada, 1991) developed
the original concept of 5-S in the early 1980s. 5S is the acronym for five
Japanese words. They are:(a) Seiri
(b) Seiton
(c) Seiso
(d) Seiketsu
(e) Shitsuke
Respectively, Osada refers to the 5Ss as the five keys to a total quality
environment. The Japanese have been widely practicing 5-S technique and
believe it can help in all aspects of life.

1.2

Background of the problem

Satisfying the customer, through making a good product is the main objective of
every manufacturing company. In competition, company is not only to provide
cost effective products but also good in quality as well, which satisfy the
demand. Fail to check the level of their quality consistently will have a
consequence on the continuation of the product. It is necessary for the company
to have the suitable quality management methods that fits to the needs, types of
product and its activities. This study is based on a case study in a manufacturing

company and will access the current quality management tool which is 5S
method in achieving company objectives as well as recommended improvement
if necessary.

1.3

Objective
There are a few objectives for this study. Those objectives are:
(a) To research on the currently used quality management system in the
company
(b) To identify quality problems faced by company
(c) To use various methodology in analyzing causes of the identified problem
(d) To give suggestion improvement to solve the problem using 5S quality
concepts

1.4

Scope
The scopes of this study are as follows:
(a) To study the current Quality Management System (QMS) applied in the
WINCO Precision Engineering. This study will only focus on the production
section of the company regarding to method used to monitor quality and not
on any mechanical and machinery aspect such as machine maintenance.
(b) The product chosen for this research is crankshaft and only main crankshaft
produced will be studied which is the R/Super crankshaft.
(c) Perform necessary analysis on the data and identify problems faced by
company in the production section.
(d) Suggest improvement for top 3 critical problems by applying 5S concept.

1.5 Arrangement of this project

Chapter 1
This chapter gives an introduction to the project along with objectives
and scope. Besides that, it also describes about background of quality and
background of problem in the case study Company.
Chapter 2
This chapter presents the literature review on Total Quality Management
(TQM), ISO system (previous and current) and 5S Quality Concept. Besides that
it also describes about 5S Quality Concept with other Quality approaches.
Chapter 3
This chapter describes background of the company and description
regarding to the companys production field.
Chapter 4
Description regarding to the methodology used in this project to analyze
problem as well as methods that will be used in performing this study will be
discussed in this chapter.
Chapter 5
This chapter will describe and display all results acquired from the
research done at WINCO Precision Engineering. The data will be sorted out and
arrange for analyzing process. Besides that analysis will be done on the data
acquired to identify root cause of each problem. Then improvement for each
problem will be done using 5S methodology. This will be analyzed stage by
stage by using the five different key elements in 5S concept which is seiri,
seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke.

Chapter 6
This chapter presents the conclusions of the whole project and suggestion
as well as suggestions for future study.

CHAPTER II
LITERATURE STUDY

2.1

Introduction
This chapter will describe topics related to quality such as Total Quality
Management, 5S methodology, ISO 9000 and Lean manufacturing. This chapter
will begin with definitions of quality by quality gurus and an introduction and
implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). Next is followed by 5S
methodology and a comparison of 5S with other quality approaches.

2.2

Definitions of quality
In the Websters New World Dictionary quality is defined as physical or
nonphysical characteristic that constitutes the basic nature of a thing or is one of
its distinguishing features. Shewhart, said that there are two common aspects of
quality, one of these has to do with the consideration of the quality of a thing as
an objective reality independent of the existing of man. The other has to do with
what we think, feel or sense as a result of the objective reality. This subjective
side of quality is closely linked to value. It is convenient to think of all matters
related to quality of manufactured product in terms of these three functions of
specification, production and inspection. (Grant and Leavenworth, 1988).
Quality is fitness for use, (Juran, 1989). Quality is conformance to requirements

(Crosby, 1979) and quality should be aimed at the needs of the customer present
and future (Deming,1986).
Feigenbaum said that quality is the total composite product and service
characteristics of marketing, engineering, manufacture and maintenance through
which he product and service in use will meet the expectations of the customer.
Mizuno said that product quality encompasses those characteristics which the
product most posses if it is to be used in the intended manner. Actually, quality
can take many forms. All the definitions mentioned above can be classified into
three types. They are quality of design, quality of conformance and quality of
performance. Quality of design means that the product has been designed to
successfully fill a consumer need, real or perceived. Quality of conformance
refers to the manufacture of the product or the provision of the service that meets
the specific requirements that set by customer. Lastly, quality of performance
brings out the definitions that the product or service performance its intended
function as identified by the customer.
As for Dr. W. Edwards Deming, well-known consultant and author on the
subject of quality said, quality as nonfaulty system. Dr. Deming stresses that
quality efforts should be directed at the present and future needs of the customer.
In other words, customers do not necessary know what they want until they have
seen the product or received the service. Another definitions is from, Dr. Joseph
M. Juran, in his book describes, quality as fitness for use. He discusses that
quality as conformance to requirement and nonquality as nonconformance.

Quality can take many forms. Quality can be summarized as terms of an

excellent product and service. There are three term in quality, Quality of design,
Quality of conformance, and Quality of nonconformance. Quality of design
means the product has been designed to successful fill a customer need, real or
not perceived. The design should be an excellent product or service that fulfills
or exceeds customer expectation. Quality conformance means, conformance to
requirement. Refers to the manufacture of the product or the service that meet the
specified requirement set by the consumer. Quality performance, means, that the
product or service performs its intended function as identified by the consumer.

2.3

Importance of Quality Management

Quality management theory has been influenced by the contributions
made by quality leaders (Crosby, 1979; Deming, 1982; Ishikawa, 1985;Juran,
1988; Feigenbaum, 1991). The research by all these authors shows both strengths
and weaknesses, for none of them offers all the solutions to the problems
encountered by firms (Dale, 1999), although some common issues can be
observed, such as management leadership, training, employees participation,
process

management,planning

and

quality

measures

for

continuous

improvement.
These ideas have exerted an influence upon later studies, in such a way
that the literature on TQM has progressively developed from these initial
contributions, identifying different elements for effective quality management:
customer-based approach, leadership, quality planning, fact-based management,
continuous improvement, human resource management (involvement of all
members in the firm, training, work teams, communication systems), learning,
process management, cooperation with suppliers and organizational awareness
and concern for the social and environmental context.

[Type a quote from the

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Figure 2.1: Empirical research of quality management

Alongside these studies, we may mention the development of formal
evaluation models, such as the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award model
in the USA, the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model
in Europe and the Deming Application Prize model in Japan. Although there are
some differences between these models, they have a number of common
elements (Ritchie and Dale, 2000). We should also quote here a number of
empirical studies leading to a scale for TQM measurement as shown in Figure
2.1. These constructs are all present in the framework used for the national
quality awards we have listed.

2.4

Total Quality Management (TQM)

Total Quality Management is a management approach that originated in
the 1950's and has steadily become more popular since the early 1980's. Total
Quality is a description of the culture, attitude and organization of a company
that strives to provide customers with products and services that satisfy their
needs. The culture requires quality in all aspects of the company's operations,
with processes being done right the first time and defects and waste eradicated
from operations. Total Quality Management, TQM, is a method by which
management and employees can become involved in the continuous
improvement of the production of goods and services. It is a combination of
quality and management tools aimed at increasing business and reducing losses
due to wasteful practices. Some of the companies who have implemented TQM
include Ford Motor Company, Phillips Semiconductor, SGL Carbon, Motorola
and Toyota Motor Company. (Gilbert, 1992)

2.4.1 TQM Definition

TQM is a management philosophy that seeks to integrate all
organizational functions such as marketing, finance, design, engineering, and
production, customer service, etc. to focus on meeting customer needs and
organizational objectives. TQM views an organization as a collection of
processes. It maintains that organizations must strive to continuously improve
these processes by incorporating the knowledge and experiences of workers. The
simple objective of TQM is "Do the right things, right the first time, every time".
TQM is infinitely variable and adaptable. Although originally applied to
manufacturing operations, and for a number of years only used in that area, TQM
is now becoming recognized as a generic management tool, just as applicable in
service and public sector organizations. There are a number of evolutionary

10

strands, with different sectors creating their own versions from the TQM is the
foundation for activities, which include commitment by senior management and
all employees, meeting customer requirements, reducing development cycle
times, Just In Time/ Demand flow manufacturing and improvement teams. This
shows that all personnel, in Manufacturing, Marketing, Engineering, R&D,
Sales, Purchasing, HR, etc must practice TQM in all activities. (Hyde, 1992)

2.4.2 Implementation Principles and Processes of TQM

A preliminary step in TQM implementation is to assess the organization's
current conditions. Relevant preconditions have to do with the organization's
history, its current needs, precipitating events leading to TQM, and the existing
employee quality of working life. If the current reality does not include important
preconditions, TQM implementation should be delayed until the organization is
in a state in which TQM is likely to succeed.
If an organization has a track record of effective responsiveness to the
environment, and if it has been able to successfully change the way it operates
when needed, TQM will be easier to implement. If an organization has been
historically reactive and has little skill at improving its operating systems, there
will be both employee skepticism and a lack of skilled change agents. If this
condition prevails, a comprehensive program of management and leadership
development may be instituted.
A management audit is a good assessment tool to identify current levels
of organizational functioning and areas in need of change. An organization
should be basically healthy before beginning TQM. If it has significant problems
such as a very unstable funding base, weak administrative systems, lack of
managerial skill, or poor employee morale, TQM would not be appropriate.
(Tichey, 1993) However, a certain level of stress is probably desirable to initiate
TQM. People need to feel a need for a change. Kanter (1983) addresses this

11

phenomenon as building blocks, which are present in effective organizational

change. These forces include departures from tradition, a crisis or galvanizing
event, strategic decisions, individual "prime movers," and action vehicles.
Departures from tradition are activities, usually at lower levels of the
organization, which occur when entrepreneurs move outside the normal ways of
operating to solve a problem. A crisis, if it is not too disabling, can also help
create a sense of urgency, which can mobilize people to act. In the case of TQM,
this may be a funding cut or threat, or demands from consumers or other
stakeholders for improved quality of service. After a crisis, a leader may
intervene strategically by articulating a new vision of the future to help the
organization deal with it. A plan to implement TQM may be such a strategic
decision. Such a leader may then become a prime mover, who takes charge in
championing the new idea and showing others how it will help them get where
they want to go. Finally, action vehicles are needed and mechanisms or
structures to enable the change to occur and become institutionalized. (Smith,
1993)

2.5

ISO 9000:2000 System

ISO 9000 is a Quality Management System (QMS) or series of
international quality standards, the guiding principle of which is the prevention
of defects through the planning and application of best practices at every stage of
business from design through to installation and servicing. These standards focus
on identifying the basic disciplines and specifying the general criteria by which
any organization, regardless of whether it is manufacturing or service oriented,
can ensure that product leaving its facility meets the requirements of its
customers. These standards ask a company to first document and implement its
systems for quality management, and then to verify, by means of an audit.

12

The term ISO 9000 refers to a set of quality management standards

currently includes three quality standards: ISO 9000:2005, ISO 9001:2000, and
ISO 9004:2000. ISO 9001:2000 presents requirements, while ISO 9000:2005
and ISO 9004:2000 present guidelines. All of these are process standards and
ISOs purpose is to facilitate international trade by providing a single set of
standards that people everywhere would recognize and respect. The ISO
9000:2000 standards apply to all kinds of organizations in all kinds of areas.
In the past, ISO had three standards: ISO 9001:1994, ISO 9002:1994, and
ISO 9003:1994. Now there's only one standard which is ISO 9001:2000.
ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 have been dropped. ISO 9001 includes specialized
quality management standards. A Quality Management System is a system of
clearly defined organizational structures, processes, responsibilities and
resources used to assure minimum standards of quality and can be used to
evaluate an organizations overall quality management efforts conducted by an
independent accredited third party, the compliance of those systems to the
requirements of the standards.

2.5.1 Previous ISO 9000 system

The ISO 9000 series is comprised of the following international standards:
(a) ISO 8402 - Quality management and quality assurance vocabulary
(b) ISO 9000 - Guidelines for selection and use
(c) ISO 9001 - Model for quality assurance: design, development, production,
installation and servicing
(d) ISO 9002 - Model for quality assurance: production, installation and
servicing
(e) ISO 9003 - Model for quality assurance: final inspection and test
(f) ISO 9004 - Quality management and quality system elements

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(g) ISO 10011 - Guidelines for auditing quality systems

(h) ISO 10012 - Requirements for measuring equipment
(i) ISO 10013 - Guidelines for quality manuals.
Fundamentally these standards can be grouped into two categories:
(a) Requirements - These mandatory standards dictate what a company shall do.
Companies become registered to or compliant with one of the requirements
standards. There are four requirements standards:
(i)

ISO 9001

(ii)

ISO 9002

(iii)

ISO 9003

(iv)

ISO 10012
(b) Guidelines - These assist a company to interpret the requirements standards,
suggesting what a company should do. There are also four guidelines:
(i)

ISO 8402

(ii)

ISO 9000

(iii)

ISO 9004

(iv)

ISO 10011

(v)

ISO 10013

Regardless of whether an organization is involved in a total

manufacturing operation, including design, or only inspection and testing
process, it can develop a quality management system based on one of the ISO
9000 requirements standards. By design, these standards can accommodate
variation from company to company and between economic sectors. It is simply
up to each individual business to interpret the appropriate requirements standard
in light of its own processes.

14

The principle standards within the group are ISO 9001, 9002 and 9003.
These are the requirements standards, and all of the other standards within the
series are related to these three. Of the three, ISO 9001 is the most
comprehensive. Divided into 20 specific elements, deliberate and organized, it
provides a foundation for basic quality management and continuous
improvement practices. Each of its 20 elements covers a particular area of an
organization's business processes:
(a) Management Responsibility
(b) Quality Planning
(c) Contract Review
(d) Design Control
(e) Document and Data Control
(f) Purchasing
(g) Control of Customer-Supplied Product
(h) Identification and Traceability
(i) Process Control
(j) Inspection and Testing
(k) Control of Inspection, Measuring and Test Equipment
(l) Inspection and Test Status
(m)Control of Nonconforming Product
(n) Corrective and Preventive Action
(o) Storage, Handling, Packaging, Preservation and Delivery
(p) Control of Quality Records
(q) Internal Quality Audits
(r) Training
(s) Servicing
(t) Statistical Techniques

15

ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 are derivatives of the 9001 requirements
standard. An ISO 9001 certification assures a companys customers that
minimum acceptable system and procedures are in place in the company to
guarantee that minimum quality standards can be met.

2.5.2 New ISO 9000 system

When comparing ISO 9001:1994 and ISO 9001:2000 youll notice that
ISO has abandoned the 20-clause structure of the old standard. Instead of 20
sections, the new standard now has 5 sections. ISO reorganized the ISO 9001
standard in order to create a more logical structure, and in order to make it more
compatible with the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. While
this reorganization is largely a cosmetic change, it could have some rather
profound implications if the new current quality manual is organized around the
old 20-part structure.
In the past, organizations that wished to be certified were referred to as
suppliers because they supplied products and services to customers. Since many
people were confused by this usage, ISO has decided to use the word
organization instead. Now the ISO standards focus on the organization, not the
supplier. The term supplier now refers to the organizations supplier. The new
redefined term supplier replaces the old term subcontractor. While this may
sound a bit confusing, this new usage simply reflects the way these words are
normally used. While many are probably familiar with the previous concepts,
many may not have heard of the next one. ISO now uses the phrase product
realization. While this is a rather abstract concept, it is now central to ISOs
approach. In fact, ISO devotes an entire section to this new concept.

16

2.5.2.1New requirements
The new ISO 9001:2000 standard introduces some new requirements and
modifies some old ones. The requirements were listed below:(a) Communicate with customers.
(b) Identify customer requirements.
(c) Meet customer requirements.
(d) Monitor and measure customer satisfaction.
(e) Meet regulatory requirements
(f) Meet statutory requirements
(g) Support internal communication
(h) Provide quality infrastructure
(i) Provide a quality work environment
(j) Evaluate the effectiveness of training
(k) Monitor and measure processes
(l) Evaluate the suitability of quality management system
(m)Evaluate the effectiveness of quality management system
(n) Identify quality management system improvements
(o) Improve quality management system

2.5.2.2New approach
In order to understand ISO 9001:2000 at a deeper level, it is important to
recognize that ISO uses a process approach to quality management. While the
process approach is not new, the increased emphasis ISO now gives to it is new.
It is now central to the way ISO thinks about quality management systems.
According to this approach, a quality management system can be thought
of as a single large process that uses many inputs to generate many outputs. This

17

large process is, in turn, made up of many smaller processes. Each of these
processes uses inputs from other processes to generate outputs which, in turn, are
used by still other processes.
A detailed analysis of the Standard reveals that an ISO 9001:2000 Quality
Management System is made up of at least 21 processes. These 21 processes are
listed below:
(a) Quality Management Process
(b) Resource Management Process
(c) Regulatory Research Process
(d) Market Research Process
(e) Product Design Process
(f) Purchasing Process
(g) Production Process
(h) Service Provision Process
(i) Product Protection Process
(j) Customer Needs Assessment Process
(k) Customer Communications Process
(l) Internal Communications Process
(m)Document Control Process
(n) Record Keeping Process
(o) Planning Process
(p) Training Process
(q) Internal Audit Process
(r) Management Review Process
(s) Monitoring and Measuring Process
(t) Nonconformance Management Process
(u) Continual Improvement Process

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In order to develop a quality management system that meets the new

ISO 9001:2000 standard, an organization must create or modify each of the
above processes. This is done by:(a) Design each process.
(b) Document each process.
(c) Implement each process.
(d) Support each process.
(e) Monitor each process.
(f) Control each process.
(g) Improve each process.
Each process uses inputs to generate outputs, and all of these processes
are interconnected using these input-output relationships. The output from one
process becomes the input for other processes. Because of this, inputs and
outputs are really the same thing. Some general types of inputs/outputs are:(a) Products
(b) Services
(c) Information
(d) Documents
(e) Reports
(f) Records
(g) Results
(h) Needs
(i) Data
(j) Expectations
(k) Requirements
(l) Complaints
(m)Comments
(n) Feedback

19

(o) Resources
(p) Measurements
(q) Authorizations
(r) Decisions
(s) Plans
(t) Ideas
(u) Solutions
(v) Proposals
(w) Instructions
In summary, an ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System is made up
of many processes, and these processes are glued together by means of many
input-output relationships. These input-output relationships turn a simple list of
processes into an integrated system. Without these input-output relationships,
there would not be a Quality Management System.

20

2.6

5S Quality Concept

2.6.1 What is 5S?

A '5S' driven workplace enhances productivity and competitiveness and
fosters a productivity culture through a continual process of identifying, reducing
and eliminating MUDA (Japanese for Waste). '5S' helps to:
(a) Identify, Reduce and Eliminate MUDA
(b) Organized & World Class Gemba (Workplace)
(c) Enhancement in Productivity & Competitiveness
(d) Better Living and improved work life
There are many organized methods to do so one of them is called '5S'.
5S'' is a tool with Japanese roots, focused on fostering and sustaining high
quality housekeeping. The physical environment determines ones behavior. On
the other hand, a similar behavioral pattern among group of people defines
culture. Thus, there is a strong link between culture and physical environment.
Extrapolating, one can also find a strong link between the physical environment
at the workplace and productivity.
Many people think that housekeeping should be done by a cleaners and
sweepers at their workplace. They don't realize that they too play an important
part in keeping their workplace clean. More importantly, they don't know how
much they can gain for themselves by just practicing good housekeeping.

21

Everything that the people do at their workplace is very important to

overall cleanliness, orderliness and safety of the workplace. Clean working
environments where everything is properly placed and where clear instructions
are readily available tend to be a safe place to work in. The work environment
also determines how fast and how efficiently work could be done. Good produce
in a clean and well-organized environment also tends to be of better quality. In a
company where 5S are seriously practiced, the numbers of defect products will
be relatively lower that of a disorganized company. Productivity will therefore be
higher.
By practicing 5 S at the workplace, it's not only produce quality, but also
actually help to ensure the safety of that workplace. 5S is a set of techniques
providing a standard approach to housekeeping. It is often promoted as being far
more than simply housekeeping and some of the elements described below
certainly move into broader areas.
(a) Seiri : Sorting out - "When in doubt, throw it out"
(b) Seiton : Systematic Arrangement - Everything has a place, everything in its
place
(c) Seiso : Spic and Span Scrub - Clean it up
(d) Seiketsu : Standardizing- Stabilize - Standardized cleaning and housekeeping
(e) Shitsuke : Self-discipline Sustain - Make it a way of life

22

2.6.1.1Seiri
(a) Seiri is the identification of the best physical Organization of the workplace.
It has been variously anglicized as Sort, Systematization or Simplify by those
wishing to retain the S as the initial letter of each element.
(b) It is the series of steps by which we identify things which are being held in
the workplace when they shouldn't, or are being held in the wrong area of the
workplace.
(c) Put simply, we may identify a large area devoted to tools or gauges, some of
which are needed regularly and some used infrequently. This brings all sorts
of problems, including:
(d) Operators unable to find the item they need, being unable to see wood for
trees. The time spent searching is a waste (or in Japanese lean-speak a
muda) and if we only held the items needed regularly in a prominent
position we would save time.
(e) Quality issues when gauges are not calibrated on time because too many are
held.
(f) Safety issues when people fall over things.
(g) Lockers and racking cluttering the production area making it hard for people
to move around or to see each other and communicate

23

2.6.1.2 Seiton
(a)

Seiton is the series of steps by which the optimum organization identified in

the first pillar are put into place.

(b)

The standard translation is Orderliness but again some wish to keep the initial
S and use Sort (yes, that is also one of the translations of Seiri), Set in order,
Straighten and Standardization.

(c)

The sorting out process is essentially a continuation of that described in the

Seiri phase.

(d)

Removing items to be discarded or held in an alternative location will create

space. This space will be visible and facilitate the alternative layout of the
area.

2.6.1.3 Seiso
(a) Anglicized as Cleanliness but again the initial S can be retained in Shine, or
Sweeping.
(b) The principle here is that people are happier and hence more productive in
clean, bright environments. There is a more practical element in that if
everything is clean it is immediately ready for use.
(c) We would not want a precision product to be adjusted by a spanner that is
covered in grease which may get into some pneumatic or hydraulic fittings.
We would not wish to compromise a PCB assembly by metallic dust picked
up from an unclean work surface. Other issues are health and safety (people
perhaps slipping in a puddle of oil, shavings blowing into people's eyes) and
machine tools damaged by coolant contaminated by grease and dust.
(d) The task is to establish the maintenance of a clean environment as an
ongoing, continuous program.

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