5S Concept of Organising

5S is often summarized by the philosophy “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

 5S stands for the 5 steps of this methodology: Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain. These steps involve going through everything in a space, deciding what's necessary and what isn't, putting things in order, cleaning, and setting up procedures for performing these tasks on a regular basis.

5S originated as 5 Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seisou, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. In English these have come to be known as:

Sort: Eliminate that which is not needed.

Straighten: Organize what remains after sorting.

Shine: Clean and inspect the work area.

Standardize: Write standards for 5S.

Sustain: Consistently apply the 5S standards.

At their core, 5S activities build the discipline needed for substantial and continuous improvement by creating (and sustaining) efficient and effective work areas.

The Sustain step assures that 5S is applied on an ongoing basis. It transforms your standardized 5S processes into regularly completed tasks.