For facility operations managers, starting a 5S lean manufacturing program can reduce waste and optimize productivity through better workplace organization. With each S (Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain) accounting for a separate 5S stage, the process can seem intimidating, but does not need to be.
“You don’t have to get the 5S process perfect right away,” says Tina Huff, group product manager at Avery Products Corporation, a commercial and industrial label manufacturer. “Just get started and keep improving over time.”