5S - Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke

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The 5 'S' Process: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke (Page 1 of 2)

The 5S Process, or simply "5S", is a structured program to systematically achieve total organization, cleanliness, and standardization in the workplace. A well-organized workplace results in a safer, more efficient, and more productive operation. It boosts the morale of the workers, promoting a sense of pride in their work and ownership of their responsibilities.

"5S" was invented in Japan, and stands for five (5) Japanese words that start with the letter 'S': Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. Table 1 shows what these individual words mean. An equivalent set of five 'S' words in English have likewise been adopted by many, to preserve the "5S" acronym in English usage. These are: Sort, Set (in place), Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. Some purists do not agree with these English words -

they argue that these words have lost the essence of the original 5 Japanese words.

Table 1. 5S Definitions

Japanese Term	English Equivalent	Meaning in Japanese Context
Seiri	Tidiness	Throw away all rubbish and unrelated materials in the workplace
Seiton	Orderliness	Set everything in proper place for quick retrieval and storage
Seiso	Cleanliness	Clean the workplace; everyone should be a janitor
Seiketsu	Standardization	Standardize the way of maintaining cleanliness
Shitsuke	Discipline	Practice 'Five S' daily - make it a way of life; this also means 'commitment'

Seiri

The first step of the "5S" process, seiri, refers to the act of throwing away all unwanted, unnecessary, and unrelated materials in the workplace. People involved in Seiri must not feel sorry about having to throw away things. The idea is to ensure that everything left in the workplace is related to work. Even the number of necessary items in the workplace must be kept to its absolute minimum. Because of seiri, simplification of tasks, effective use of space, and careful purchase of items follow.

Seiton

Seiton, or orderliness, is all about efficiency. This step consists of putting everything in an assigned place so that it can be accessed or retrieved quickly, as well as returned in that same place quickly. If everyone has quick access to an item or materials, work flow becomes efficient, and the worker becomes productive. The correct place, position, or holder for every tool, item, or material must be chosen carefully in relation to how the work will be performed and who will use them. Every single item must be allocated its own place for safekeeping, and each location must be labeled for easy identification of what it's for.

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See Also: TPM; TQM; Kaizen; 6-Sigma; Poka-Yoke

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