What 5S Is and Where It Comes From

5S is a simple method for organising a workplace. It has five steps. Each step starts with the letter S in English, and each one comes from a Japanese word. The method grew in Japanese manufacturing companies in the second half of the twentieth century, as part of the way they improved quality and reduced waste. Today it is used all over the world.

The idea is simple. When a workplace is organised, people can find what they need, see when something is wrong, and work safely. When it is disorganised, people waste time searching, make mistakes and get hurt.

Who uses 5S

5S started in factories, but it now appears in many places: maintenance workshops, warehouses, laboratories, hospitals, kitchens, offices, oil and gas sites, and shared computer folders. Wherever people use tools, materials or information to do work, the same steps can help.

Two short examples

Example 1. In a small machine shop, each worker kept tools in a personal drawer. When someone was absent, nobody could find the right gauge. After 5S, the tools hang on one marked board beside the machine. Any worker can see at once which tools are there and which are missing.

Example 2. In a hospital store room, boxes of dressings were stacked on the floor in no order. Nurses lost time looking for the right size. After 5S, each item has a labelled shelf, with the most used items at waist height. A nurse can collect what a patient needs in under a minute.