NPA: Business Improvement Techniques Contributing to the Application of Workplace Organisation Techniques

1. NPA: Business Improvement TechniquesContributing to the Application of Workplace Organisation Techniques

2. Aim of the Unit • The aim of this Unit is to give the learner the knowledge and understanding required to apply the principles and techniques of workplace organisation, as embodied within the concepts of 5C/5S.

3. Workplace organisation — structure of the Unit • Aims and objectives of Unit • Learning outcomes • Introduction to 5C/5S • The 5Cs/5Ss • What are they? • How to implement • Auditing the 5C/5S workplace standard • The outcomes of 5C/5S • Successfully implementing 5C/5S • Health and safety considerations • Links with 8W, visual management and standardised work

4. Objectives of the Unit • to understand the importance or 5C/5S and how this concept can be applied • to define and describe the principles of effective workplace organisation as embodied within the concept of 5C/5S • to demonstrate the application of 5C/5S techniques • to describe why and how the 5C/5S standard within the workplace should be audited • to define the importance of 5C/5S and understand how to sustain the 5C/5S process • to understand the health and safety benefits to be gained • to understand how 5C/5S encourages teamwork

5. Learning outcomes After completing the Unit, you should: • understand the importance of effective workplace organisation and be able to describe each of the 5Cs/5Ss • understand the process and implications of applying 5C/5S to the workplace • have carried out a 5C/5S activity, probably as part of a team, to improve the organisation of a work area • be confident that you could repeat the application of the principles and techniques of 5C/5S to another area

6. Poor workplace organisation Office: • Does any of this look familiar? • What issues would result?

7. Impact of poor organisation Typical issues: • untidy, clutter, obstacles to workflow • poor image • time wasted searching for things • plant and equipment not positioned to support efficient working • damaged materials • over production/over ordering • potential health and safety issues • poor housekeeping • difficult to ‘see’ the status of things — stock levels • would create inefficiency or waste • impacts on other processes

8. Possible workplace organisation projects There are many ways in which the organisation of a workplace can be improved through the use of a variety of tools: • works planning and programming • layouts and flow (spaghetti) diagrams • standardising work operations • process mapping But one tool has been specifically designed to improve this and is known as 5C/5S.

9. 5C/5S The first ‘building block’ of lean/continuous improvement

10. 5C/5S definition • A structured method for achieving, maintaining and improving the standard setup, organisation, layout and control of a work area, so as to ensure safe and efficient operations with minimum waste.

11. Introducing 5C/5S • The concept of 5C/5S is generally regarded to have originated from the Japanese automotive industry, and is considered one of the fundamental building blocks for an organisation striving to establish lean practices and a culture of continuous improvement. • Importance • safety, quality, delivery, cost, client satisfaction • sets standards — a reflection of how the product/service or project will be managed/delivered • mindset • image

12. 5C / 5S The original Japanese 5Ss have been adopted and adapted by Western industries. The translations and basic meanings are shown in the table.

13. The purpose of 5C/5S • to improve the organisation and working standards of the work environment • to create a work environment that supports safe working practices, right first time quality and efficient, productive working • to provide the basis for other ‘building blocks’

14. Health and safety and the 5C/5S process • Carry out a health and safety risk assessment in the work area. • What are the hazards within the target area? • Ensure that all health and safety requirements are met and understood by everyone involved in the process improvement activity. • Identify and provide the necessary personal protective equipment. • Does the team require any further health and safety training?

15. 5C/5S Carrying out a 5C/5S

16. ‘You can’t see the wood for the trees’ 1. Clear-out/sort • Remove those items from the workplace that are not essential to enable the work activity to be carried out.

17. 1. Clear-out/sort • Clear-out/sort non-essential items (eg tools, equipment, inventory, paper, rubbish, furniture). • By being present, such non-essential items: • create clutter • can create unsafe working conditions • take up space • can hinder efficient operations • often will be moved from one place to the next • can hide other problems within the work place

18. 1. Clear-out/sort — how do we do it? • Designate an area to which all items will be cleared to. • Direct the team on health and safety considerations and how the activity will be run. • Log all items as they are cleared from the work area. • Red-tag any items that are in a poor condition.

19. 1. Clear-out/sort — how do we do it? • As items are cleared/sorted, and prior to putting back into the work environment, ‘clean and check’: • Make sure the work area and necessary items in as-new condition • health and safety • efficient operation • makes problems visible • Set the standard condition • Red-tag any items that are in a poor state of repair, etc Check the condition of all items being put back.

20. 1. Clear-out/sort 5C/5S applied to an office work area 5C/5S applied to a construction site stores In one such clear-out activity in a small office area, 12 bin sacks were filled with unnecessary items!

21. 2. Configure/straighten ‘A place for everything and everything in its place’ The orderly organisation of those items that are necessary to complete the work activity, in a way that ensures safe and efficient operations, which can be repeated with minimal waste.

22. 2. Configure/straighten — how do we do it? • Identify where to locate each necessary item: • Establish where best to place or store an item, to support efficient work activity. • Think about how often the item is used. • Consider safe working and minimise bending, reaching, twisting, etc. • Consider the whole work area and the location of items to fit with the typical work pattern — aim to support efficient workflow.

23. Criteria to help effective configuring • One step rule: • Ideally nothing stored more than a step away. • Improve efficiency by eliminating time lost looking for items. • 30 second rule: • Organise workplace to allow any tool, information or material to be located and retrieved within 30 seconds. This includes computer files! • 45 degree rule: • Immediate work area layout to minimise twisting. • Strike zone rule: • Store things above the knees and below the chest. • The higher the pounds, the closer to the knuckles: • Locate heavy items to eliminate bending, stooping or unnecessary arm movements during lifting.

24. 2. Configure/straighten — how do we do it? • 2. Use visual methods to clearly show where each item should be located: • labels showing name, ID number, etc • shadow boards • floor tape, painted lines and footprints • colour coding

25. 2. Configure/straighten — how do we do it? • 3. Establish ways, preferably visual methods, to manage the replenishment of regularly used items including materials and consumables: • determine the lead times for replenishment • set and clearly shown maximum storage quantities and the point at which an item needs to be re-ordered (ie the minimum level or re-order point) • min-max labelling • two-bin replenishment system — when the first bin is emptied this is the signal to refill it

26. 2. Configure/straighten • A configured/straightened site: • racked-out • stored items have a designated location • locations are labelled: • description • part/order number • min and max storage quantities • area is clean and tidy • lighting helps to improve the storage environment and standard • What impression does this give? • Would you waste time searching for the item you want? Sets the standard for workplace layout and organisation

27. Configure — before and after Configuring an office stationery cupboard • items have clearly defined locations • labels used to indicate what should be at each location and the storage quantities • items stored with no defined location • What is the stock status?

28. 3. Clean and check/shine Keep things clean and in good working order • Clean and check (or shine), is used to ensure that items are clean and ready to be used. Regular, ideally daily, ‘clean and check’ activities are carried out to maintain the 5C standards for cleanliness and workplace organisation. Check — uncover the problems Clean — on the surface!

29. 3. Clean and check/shine Keep things clean and in good working order • Undertake regular ‘clean and check’ activities. • Ensure that items are clean and ready to be used — ‘as new’: • identify any abnormal conditions (red-tag) • items missing, damaged or broken • Check for safe operating conditions. • Maintain the 5C/5S standards for cleanliness and workplace organisation.

30. 3. Clean and check/shine Keep things clean and in good working order • Regular clean and check activity, carried out by the people who operate within the workplace, will create ownership and make people aware of any issues. • Aim to make the cleaning activity part of every day’s work. • On-site, work areas should be tidied and any rubbish disposed of. • If done every day, it becomes normal practice. • Clean-up by trades as they finish a job must be enforced, so that any wasted time experienced by follow-on trades will be minimised.

31. 3. Clean and check/shine Keep things clean and in good working order • should include the area as well as the tools, equipment and plant to be used • When checking tools, equipment and plant ask: • Is it in good repair? • Is it fit for purpose? • Does the condition pose a risk to either health and safety or quality? • If an issue is found, TAG IT!

32. 3. Clean and check/shine Putting our hands onto and cleaning this motor, we found:

33. 3. Clean and check/shine Managing any identified issues • It is important that where any items have been identified with issues, the resolution of these is effectively managed. • A commonly applied 5C/5S practice is the use of ‘red-tagging’.

34. Tagging procedure

35. 3. Clean and check/shine — red-tagging • Red tags are used to provide a visual indicator of an abnormal condition. • Brief details of the issue and possible countermeasure are logged. • Each red tag is given a unique number to enable recording and tracking of issues. • The red tag is tied to the item that has the issue.

36. Log all red tag occurrences on a red tag action log sheet. Prioritise each red tag issue according to the severity of the issue and/or urgency required for resolution: A simple system is to categorise an issue as either low, medium or high. Use an agreed severity rating scale. Red tag issues Effective resolution and management

37. 3. Clean and check/shine — red tag log sheet A red tag log sheet is used to track the progress of resolving red-tag issues.

38. 4. Conformity The process of setting the 5C/5S standards and making them easy to maintain by using simple systems and processes. • It can prove difficult to maintain the 5C/5S standard that has been set during the first three 5Cs/5Ss. • The use of forms, diagrams, checklists and clearly defined roles and responsibilities will help ensure that everyone in the work area can maintain the 5C/5S standard. • It is important that this information is effectively communicated to people within the work area and to those people who interact with the work area.

39. 4. Conformity The process of setting the 5C/5S standards and making them easy to maintain by using simple systems and processes. • This can be achieved by following some simple guidelines: • pre-work set-up checklist (do you have all the tools, materials and equipment ready?) • display how work tasks should be done • display the 5C standard of the workplace • define how the 5C standard is to be maintained (eg clean and check rota) • use visual methods to show the location of necessary items

40. 4. Conformity A 5C/5S board ensures everyone’s involved.

41. 4. Conformity Visually defining the workplace layout A detailed workplace layout chart indicating the location of materials and build sequence for timber frame erection. Photographs to illustrate: Clearout Configure Clean to check Supply of Red Tags A standardised work layout chart showing where material items (bricks and mortar) should be located to aim efficient working. A site layout plan showing the location of facilities and is marked-up to indicate the ‘Traffic Plan’.

42. 5. Custom and practice/self-discipline Consistent application, training and everyday routine • Ensuring consistent adoption and use of 5C/5S by all personnel who are either involved directly with the workplace or who interact with the workplace. • Train all personnel in 5C/5S — it’s not just good housekeeping! • Give ownership of the 5C/5S standard. • Consistently enforce the 5C/5S standard and culture. • Conduct independent 5C/5S audits. • Seek to improve the 5C/5S standard. Good companies develop beginning with the 5Cs /5Ss, bad companies fall apart beginning with the 5Cs/5Ss. — Hiroyuki Hirano

43. 5C summary steps • Clear-out • remove everything not bolted to the ground • get rid of all rubbish and unnecessary tools/materials/docs etc • keep, quarantine, chuck areas • Configure • decide ‘what do we need?’, establish optimum ‘buffer’ • find everything its home • consider logistics, frequency of use, worker motion waste, sequence of tasks • use visual aids, eg to show location, replenishment of materials, quarantine area • Clean and check/shine • make sure all tools and machinery are in good condition • Conformity • create SOPs, eg cleaning schedule, maintenance procedures, location chart • Custom and practice • the company way

44. 5C/5S Auditing the 5C/5S standard

45. 5C/5S levels of excellence

46. 5C/5S audit sheet

47. 5C/5S The outcomes of 5C/5S

48. The outcomes of 5C/5S • improved working environment • safer since safety depends on care and workplace organisation • improved organisation and image • helps create ownership of the working environment and encourages teamwork

49. The outcomes of 5C/5S • A standard is set : • Only items that are required or essential to support the work are held in the area. • Essential items are organised and located in a set position to support effective and efficient work, with the view of minimising wasteful motion. • Tools, plant and equipment are maintained to support safe operations and ensure good working conditions.

50. The outcomes of 5C/5S The 5S standard: • enables any abnormal conditions to be easily spotted • provides the basis for continuous process improvement • gives confidence to your clients/customers since it reflects the standards of operation to which your business follows