Visibility is a Lean principle because problems that remain hidden do not get solved.

The sooner
problems become visible, the sooner they can be solved.
 Problems are made visible by using ‘5S’ methodology. ‘5S’ stands for ‘Sort’, ‘Set’, ‘Shine’,
‘Standardize’ and ‘Sustain’.

‘Sort’ means to get rid of anything that you do not need. ‘Sort’ applies to everything including
obsolete items, scrap, and even digital assets like documents and database records.
‘Set’ means to store everything in an organized way. Items, equipment, and digital assets must
be organized.

‘Shine’ means to clean everything regularly, even when it continuously gets dirty.
‘Standardize’ means to create Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) for all processes. Standard
Operating Procedures should answer the following questions: ‘What?’ ‘Where?’ ‘Who?’ ‘When?’
‘Why?’ and ‘How?’.
The final ‘S’ is ‘Sustain’ which means training, reminding, and auditing the procedures for
implementing ‘5S’ in all areas of the warehouse.