5S Methodology — Workplace Organization for Lean Manufacturing
5S is a workplace organization methodology consisting of five steps: Sort (Seiri — remove unnecessary items), Set in Order (Seiton — organize remaining items), Shine (Seiso — clean the workplace), Standardize (Seiketsu — create standards for maintaining order), and Sustain (Shitsuke — maintain and improve over time). 5S creates a visual, organized workplace that reduces waste, improves safety, and supports efficient operations.
Anatomy of the Chart
- Sort
- Seiri — remove unnecessary items.
- Set in Order
- Seiton — a fixed place for what remains.
- Shine
- Seiso — clean, and inspect while cleaning.
- Standardize
- Seiketsu — the written rule that holds the first three.
- Sustain
- Shitsuke — the audit habit that stops the decay.
How to Create
- 1
Sort (Seiri)
Remove everything the work does not need. What stays has to earn its place at the station.
- 2
Set in Order (Seiton)
Give every remaining item a fixed home, positioned by how often it is reached for.
- 3
Shine (Seiso)
Clean the workplace — and treat cleaning as inspection, because that is when wear and leaks are found.
- 4
Standardize (Seiketsu)
Write down how order is maintained, so the state does not depend on who is on shift.
- 5
Sustain (Shitsuke)
Audit and improve over time. Without this step the first four decay back within weeks.
Yamazo Studio supports 5S implementation by providing video evidence of workplace conditions before and after improvements. Record the workspace, then use time study analysis to quantify how disorganization affects cycle times — searching for tools, walking to distant storage, working around clutter. After implementing 5S, record again to measure the impact on productivity and document the standardized workplace for training purposes.
Example
A machining cell implemented 5S after video analysis showed operators spending an average of 47 seconds per cycle searching for tools and gauges. After 5S (shadow boards for tools, labeled storage, standardized layouts), the same video analysis method confirmed search time dropped to 8 seconds — saving 39 seconds per cycle, or approximately 3 hours per shift.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Take the template with you
We will email you the element time study template — station, element, category and five cycle columns, with worked example rows already filled in. The same email carries the Yamazo Studio demo links, in case you want to measure the same thing from video instead.