Explaining 5S practiced widely in Japan
5S in the Japanese Workplace (5)—Shitsuke: Sustaining through Discipline
5S in the Japanese Workplace (5)—Shitsuke: Sustaining through Discipline The final "S" in the 5S series looks at Shitsuke (sustaining). In a nutshell, it means keeping the previously introduced 4S as your daily routine. Shitsuke (しつけ or 躾) Shitsuke is usually written with Japanese hiragana syllables rather than the kanji characters derived from Chinese. The […]
5S in the Japanese Workplace (4) Seiketsu: Sanitizing
5S in the Japanese Workplace (4)Seiketsu: Sanitizing The 5S practices–Seiri (clearing up), Seiton (organizing), Seiso (cleaning), Seiketsu (sanitizing) and Shitsuke (training), is a system for reducing waste and increasing productivity by maintaining an orderly work environment. It was first developed in Japan and perfected by companies such as Toyota, who implemented it their production facilities. […]
5S (3)-- Seiso: cleaning to enjoy the workplace and discover hidden problems
5S (3)-- Seiso: cleaning to enjoy the workplace and discover hidden problems 5S Practices Rooted in Japanese Culture and Customs The success of Toyota’s manufacturing processes has brought 5S practices into the spotlight. These practices, often translated as Seiri = sorting, Seiton = organizing, Seiso = cleaning, Seiketsu = sanitizing and Shitsuke = sustaining, is […]
What is 5S in the Japanese Workplace? (2): "Seiton"
5S in the Japanese Workplace (2)— Seiton at the Ready Helping Suppliers Get the Edge 5S, often explained as Seiri （整理）= sorting, Seiton（整頓） = organizing, Seiso（清掃） = cleaning, Seiketsu（清潔） = sanitizing and Shitsuke（躾） = sustaining, is a workplace methodology introduced by Japanese businesses. 5S is based on fundamental Japanese “common sense,” which is one reason why they […]
What is 5S in the Japanese Workplace? (1)
Why the Japanese Have Difficulty Explaining 5S? Most non-Japanese business people especially factory workers must know something about 5S. A Google search will find multiple variations of the definitions of the five concepts, sometimes Seiri = sorting, Seiton = organizing, Seiso = cleaning, Seiketsu = sanitizing and Shitsuke = sustaining. Other times Seiri = organizing […]