Tom Barnes
Compliance Specialists, Inc.
Editor’s Note: This is the fifth in the “5+1 S Series” of articles written by EASA’s Management Services Committee to provide “lean service” resources to members. The traditional “5S” program covers these goals: sort, straighten, shine, standardize and sustain. We’ve added safety to make it the “5+1 S Series.”
Over the years, how many of you have worked really hard to lose weight? Some have lost 20, 30 or 40 pounds over a 6-12 month period, only to gain it all back – and more – just a few short months later. Why? That’s because they didn’t permanently change their habits or culture.
If you correctly followed the first four “S” activities in this series which covered sort, straighten, shine and standardize, then your facility should look better, be safer, more efficient, produce better quality repairs, achieve improved morale, and so on.
Stay focused on sustaining
If you followed the four “S” activities, you also spent considerable time, money and effort to achieve these goals. It was a big project and you should be proud of your accomplishment. Now comes the hard part. It is the fifth S: Sustain. Without sustaining, you will end up right back where you started, and possibly worse. All of the effort and money spent could be for nothing.
In my years of auditing numerous motor service centers and factories, I cannot tell you how many empty shadow boards I have seen. I have seen many “before” pictures of “5S” successes only to see the “after” ones of the facility back worse than before. To really be successful, you have to change behaviors and culture. A dirty, disorganized work station is no longer acceptable! Leaving tools out is no longer acceptable! Not cleaning (shining) is unacceptable!
Conduct “5S” audits
To sustain, develop “5S” audits to be conducted weekly or monthly. Have the winding department audit the machine shop and have the outside service group audit the mechanics, etc. Challenge each other. Consider making the “5S” performance part of any annual review process. As leaders, do not accept going backwards. Always look to improve on the “5S” activities to make them even better. Work hard to sustain. And don’t gain the weight back, either.
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