The Five Ss

Seiri - Sort (Eliminate

• Distinguish between those items that are
needed and that are not needed
• Put all items of doubt in a quarantine
area and see what is withdrawn over a set
time
• Get everything that has not been used or
is not essential for doing the job
Seition - Set in Order
• Identify the right place for everything
and then put everything in its place ready
for
retrieval
• Look at what is used most often and put
it nearest to those using it
• Find easy ways to ensure that
everything is in its right place
Seisu - Shine
• The team is responsible for keeping
the equipment in clean and good
working order
• Prevent things getting damaged and
lost by keeping things as they should
be
• Establish formal plans for
maintenance
• Keep the work area clean and swept.
Seiketsu - Standardise and
Proceduralise
• Establish standards and formalise these
•Make all standards simple and visual if
possible - photos, pictures, colours,
cartoons, etc.
Shitsuke - Sustain (Respect and
improve the standard)
• Audit against the standards
• Continue to improve the standard and
eliminate waste
• Visual management - allow the team to
monitor their own performance simply - all
activities
use visual clues to show if they are performing
as they should - A visitor should be able to
judge if all the processes are in control.