Our Philosophy for Manufacturing is the Lean Manufacturing 5S System. The 5S system is set into place to reduce waste and optimize productivity within our factory.
Sort. Sort, the first S, focuses on eliminating unnecessary items from the workplace that are not needed for current production operations.
Set In Order. Set In Order focuses on creating efficient and effective storage methods to arrange items so that they are easy to use and to label them so that they are easy to find and put away. Set in Order can only be implemented once the first pillar, Sort, has cleared the work area of unneeded items.
Shine. Once the clutter that has been clogging the work areas is eliminated and remaining items are organized, the next step is to thoroughly clean the work area. Daily follow-up cleaning is necessary to sustain this improvement. Working in a clean environment enables workers to notice malfunctions in equipment such as leaks, vibrations, breakages, and misalignment. These changes, if left unattended, could lead to equipment failure and loss of production.
Standardize. Once the first three 5S’s have been implemented, the next pillar is to standardize the best practices in the work area. Standardize, the method to maintain the first three pillars, creates a consistent approach with which tasks and procedures are done.
Sustain. Sustain, making a habit of properly maintaining correct procedures. Sustain focuses on defining a new status quo and standard of work place organization. Without the Sustain pillar the achievements of the other pillars will not last long.
(Credit for above information to United States Evironmental Protection Agency.
http://www.epa.gov/lean/environment/methods/fives.htm )
