Article

5S Again and Again and Again

Dear Gemba Coach,†I've just inherited responsibility for our 5S efforts in our company. Any suggestions for how I can get the program back on track?

by Michael Ballé

Article

5S Is a Way of Thinking and Practice

It would be impossible to find a valid description of lean that does not include the importance of 5S for organization, standardization, and continuous improvement.…

Article

Lean Roundup: 5S

LEI's Senior Editor Tom Ehrenfeld provides an engaging insight into the web's best resources on 5S, a fundamental lean tool that was the first many…

by Tom Ehrenfeld

Article

Would you have a fresh perspective on 5S to make it more motivating?

Dear Gemba Coach: I’m the manager of a plant that has changed hands (again). The new corporate team finds my 5S insufficient (again) and want…

by Michael Ballé

Article

5S - The Way to Start Your Lean Journey…or Is It?

Many people think that a 5S implementation is the perfect way to kickstart a full lean transformation. It can be - IF you do it…

by Dale Savage

Article

How do I implement 5S when operators think everyone does things a little differently?

Dear Gemba Coach: How do I implement 5S  in our small but growing shop where operators have the belief that everyone does things a little…

by Michael Ballé

Article

Should value-stream mapping come before 5S?

Dear Gemba Coach: Shouldn’t VSM come before 5S so we see the whole picture first?

by Michael Ballé

Article

Muda Corporation: The Pitfalls of 5S

In the latest installment of his "Muda Corporation" series, Marius Gil shares nine common mistakes he has seen people make with 5S.

by Marius Gil

Article

Can 5S apply to coding?

Dear Gemba Coach: We’re exploring lean in software development. Can 5S apply to coding?

by Michael Ballé

Article

5S for Information

When a Lean Thinker asked how to apply the principles of 5S to the company server, Dan Markovitz responded with advice for applying these five…

by Dan Markovitz

Lexicon Term

5S

5S refers to five related terms, beginning with an S sound, describing workplace practices conducive to visual control and lean production. The five terms in…

Article

Making Things Better - 5S-ing the Community

Do you use any lean tools to make your community a better place? Tony Heath has, ever since he was first sold on 5S many…

Article

Adopt a 5S Mindset to Sustain Your Lean Work

Focusing everyone on “housekeeping” is one of the most powerful mechanisms for empowering team members and driving sustainment of any lean effort at the lowest…

by Andrew Quibell

Article

5S, Hygiene, and Healthy Habits

5S-like practice can uncover hidden beliefs and misconceptions, and pave the way to adopting new hygiene practices – as opposed to arbitrary imposition, argues Michael…

by Michael Ballé

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Article

Don't Start with Tools!

Starting off your lean transformation with one of the various tools at your disposal is certainly tempting. But according to Craig Stritar and Mark Rosenthal,…

by Mark Rosenthal and Craig Stritar

Case Study

Lean Landscapers

HighGrove Partners, an Atlanta landscaping company, needed some time to figure out how to apply lean management principles. After all, each of its 300 work…

Article

The Snowstorm on Your Server

When looking for a place to implement 5S, your company's server or shared drive might not be the first to come to mind. And yet…

by Eric Ethington

Article

Ask Art: What Foundational Items Must I Be A Zealot About?

Be a zealot on the foundational items such as 5S, visual management, and setup reduction, says Art Byrne, and your chances of succeeding with lean…

by Art Byrne

Article

What's wrong with taking a tools approach to lean management?

Dear Gemba Coach: I keep hearing that a tool approach to lean is wrong, but tools deliver results – how can that be wrong?

by Michael Ballé