In-School Productivity Campaign | Organising the home and workplace using 5S to enhance productivity

Having good house-keeping practices and principles are some of the ways in which productivity can be enhanced in any home or organisation. When a particular area is neat, well organised and clean, you will naturally become comfortable and will be able to move freely within that space. A clean environment will see increased levels in the quality and quantity of work done in shorter times; and will, of course, have a positive effect on personal safety.

To achieve increased productivity, organisations and householders can adapt the 5S principle. This technique has been around for decades and was started by Henry Ford in the car manufacturing industry. Here are the steps you can take if the workplace or home is messy and disorganised, or if you find that you spend several minutes wasting time searching for important items.

 

First, you SORT

 

This is a collaborative effort to remove all unneeded items, tools or materials from the work area in order to bring in any items that are needed to do that particular work. In other words, distinguish between necessary and unnecessary items and remove accordingly. For instance, items that are used hourly, every day or once a week should be closer to the workstation or easily accessible. In contrast, those items that are used infrequently could be placed further away from the workstation.

 

Second, you SET IN ORDER

 

Organise what is needed to carry out the work based on how the work is correctly done. This step includes evaluating the step-by-step process to determine where and when the items are needed and how frequently. At the end of 'set-in-order', there should be a place for everything and everything in its place. In other words, put items in the right places or set up so that they are readily available for use, eliminating the need to search when having to repeat the process. Now, remember, while sorting helps you to decide what items are needed, 'set in order' helps you to decide the way things are to be organised.

 

Third, you SHINE

 

This includes cleaning and care of items, equipment and facilities, and also checking them for defects.

 

Fourth, you STANDARDISE

 

This means ensuring that whatever cleanliness and orderliness is achieved should be maintained. This requires the development of a structure that will support the new practices and turn them into habits. The purpose of standardisation is to make sure that everyone in the environment follows the same procedures and policies. Standardising is doing the right things the right way every time.

 

And finally, you SUSTAIN

 

This means 'discipline'. It denotes your commitment to maintain orderliness and to practise the first 3S as a way of life. This also requires that your team members show positive interest and overcome resistance to change. In other words, the gains by implementing a system of layered checks that will measure the efforts towards creating an organised and efficient work or home.

Many persons aspire to be more productive but generally do not know what the first step is that they should take in their own lives. These 5Ss are just some simple ways in which you can help reduce waste throughout your daily routine and can help to make your tasks easier. This is one of the remedies to being productive; if you practise them, make them a part of the culture, we can help to make Jamaica a more productive and prosperous nation.

- Romaine Thompson is an industrial engineer