How do you implement 5S in your quality management?

The 5s method is a great combination with quality management. With 5s, you will systematically clean up and rearrange your resources. Often only physical things on the shop floor are considered. But it is also often chaos within organizations when it comes to data and information.

With the 5s method, you can systematically clear away the chaos and ensure that a tidy workplace remains. As a result, it greatly increases efficiency in the work to be performed.

What is the 5s method?

5S is a Lean tool and a roadmap for a tidy workplace, to reduce waste in the workplace. It provides overview, peace and structure. (Source: LeanSixSignaGroup)

The 5s method is named after the 5 different steps you go through while executing (separate, arrange, clean, standardize and boost). The method focuses on preventing waste. An orderly (digital) workspace prevents lengthy searches or using an incorrect, wrong or duplicate file. The 5s method is not a one-time event and one must ensure that the entire organization is involved.

Only in this way will you gain insight into all existing information sources and be able to pinpoint bottlenecks. A well-organized digital workplace will speed up the turnaround time of business processes and increase quality.

Why is the 5s method important for quality management?

The PDCA improvement cycle is central to quality management. If one translates this to information management it means that one often has to search for the right information or one frequently uses wrong information. With the 5s roadmap, you ensure that (starting from the current undesirable situation) you strive for an end situation that improves business processes. Now and in the future. So it is a very practical way to improve quality within your organization. And after all, this is the ultimate purpose of a quality management system.