What is 6S

Before explaining 6S in manufacturing, we need to refer to 5s lean management as the base of the principle.  It is a set of five steps to ensure proper organization of items and working areas to save costs, reduce waste, improve workplace management, and increase productivity.

The 5s principle is most beneficial in scenarios where a company has to deal with complex working processes and asset management, therefore, it is mostly used in manufacturing.


SORT Seiri
ldentifying items placed in the working areaand deciding what to do with them.0ptimizing the process by tagging theequipment with color tags.


SETSeiton
Organizing the workplace to be as functionalas possible.Sorting out items to keep, relocate or throwthem away.


SHINE Seisó
Setting up aregular cleaning schedule andmaking it a standardized process.


STANDARDIZE Seiketsu
Standardizing everything that was done in theprevious steps.Creating rules and instructions forconducting the steps regularly.


SUSTAIN Shitsuke
Following up on all the steps on a set basis.Setting up and scheduling regularinspections.


SAFETY
Integrating safety precautions into theday-to-day operation.Documenting all safety risks in the 5S steps.Setting up regular safety checks andpreventive measures.