NPA: Business

Improvement Techniques
Contributing to the Application of
Workplace Organisation Techniques

Aim of the Unit

The aim of this Unit is to give the learner
the knowledge and understanding required
to apply the principles and techniques of
workplace organisation, as embodied
within the concepts of 5C/5S.

Workplace organisation structure

of the Unit

Aims and objectives of Unit

Learning outcomes
Introduction to 5C/5S
The 5Cs/5Ss
What are they?
How to implement

Auditing the 5C/5S workplace standard

The outcomes of 5C/5S
Successfully implementing 5C/5S
Health and safety considerations
Links with 8W, visual management and standardised work

Objectives of the Unit

to understand the importance or 5C/5S and how this concept can be
applied
to define and describe the principles of effective workplace
organisation as embodied within the concept of 5C/5S
to demonstrate the application of 5C/5S techniques
to describe why and how the 5C/5S standard within the workplace
should be audited
to define the importance of 5C/5S and understand how to sustain the
5C/5S process
to understand the health and safety benefits to be gained
to understand how 5C/5S encourages teamwork
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Learning outcomes
After completing the Unit, you should:
understand the importance of effective workplace
organisation and be able to describe each of the
5Cs/5Ss
understand the process and implications of applying
5C/5S to the workplace
have carried out a 5C/5S activity, probably as part of a
team, to improve the organisation of a work area
be confident that you could repeat the application of
the principles and techniques of 5C/5S to another area

Poor workplace organisation

Office:

Does any of this

look familiar?

What issues would

result?

Impact of poor organisation

Typical issues:
untidy, clutter, obstacles to workflow
poor image
time wasted searching for things
plant and equipment not positioned to support efficient working
damaged materials
over production/over ordering
potential health and safety issues
poor housekeeping
difficult to see the status of things stock levels
would create inefficiency or waste
impacts on other processes

Possible workplace organisation

There
are many ways in which the organisation of a workplace
projects
can be improved through the use of a variety of tools:
works planning and programming
layouts and flow (spaghetti) diagrams
standardising work operations
process mapping
But one tool has been specifically designed to improve this
and is known as 5C/5S.

5C/5S

The first building block of lean/continuous

improvement

5C/5S definition
A structured method for achieving,
maintaining and improving the standard setup,
organisation, layout and control of a work
area, so as to ensure safe and efficient
operations with minimum waste.

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Introducing 5C/5S
The concept of 5C/5S is generally regarded to have
originated from the Japanese automotive industry, and
is considered one of the fundamental building blocks
for an organisation striving to establish lean practices
and a culture of continuous improvement.
Importance
safety, quality, delivery, cost, client satisfaction
sets standards a reflection of how the
product/service or project will be managed/delivered
mindset
image

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5C / 5S

The original Japanese 5Ss have been adopted and

adapted by Western industries. The translations
and basic meanings are shown in the table.
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The purpose of 5C/5S

to improve the organisation and working
standards of the work environment
to create a work environment that supports
safe working practices, right first time quality
and efficient, productive working
to provide the basis for other building blocks

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Health and safety and the 5C/5S

process

Carry out a health and safety risk assessment in the

work area.
What are the hazards within the target area?
Ensure that all health and safety requirements are met
and understood by everyone involved in the process
improvement activity.
Identify and provide the necessary personal protective
equipment.
Does the team require any further health and safety
training?

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5C/5S
Carrying out a 5C/5S

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1.

Clear-out/sort

Remove those items from the workplace that

are not essential to enable the work activity to
be carried out.

You cant see the

wood for the trees

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1.

Clear-out/sort

Clear-out/sort non-essential items (eg tools,

equipment, inventory, paper, rubbish, furniture).
By being present, such non-essential items:
create clutter
can create unsafe working conditions
take up space
can hinder efficient operations
often will be moved from one place to the next
can hide other problems within the work place
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1.

Clear-out/sort how do we
do
it?
Designate an area to which all items will be cleared
to.
Direct the team on health and safety
considerations and how the activity will be run.
Log all items as they are cleared from the work
area.
Red-tag any items that are in a poor condition.

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1.

Clear-out/sort how do we
do it?

Check the condition of all items being put

back.
As items are cleared/sorted, and prior to putting

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back into the work environment, clean and

check:
Make sure the work area and necessary items in
as-new condition
health and safety
efficient operation
makes problems visible
Set the standard condition
Red-tag any items that are in a poor state of
repair, etc

1.

Clear-out/sort

5C/5S applied to an
office work area

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5C/5S applied to a
construction site
In one such clear-out stores
activity in a small
office area, 12 bin
sacks were filled with
unnecessary items!

2.

Configure/straighten
A place for everything and
everything in its place

The orderly organisation of those items that are

necessary to complete the work activity, in a way
that ensures safe and efficient operations, which
can be repeated with minimal waste.

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2. Configure/straighten how do we
do it?
1. Identify where to locate each necessary
item:

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Establish where best to place or store an item,

to support efficient work activity.
Think about how often the item is used.
Consider safe working and minimise bending,
reaching, twisting, etc.
Consider the whole work area and the location
of items to fit with the typical work pattern
aim to support efficient workflow.

Criteria to help effective configuring

One step rule:
Ideally nothing stored more than a step away.
Improve efficiency by eliminating time lost looking for
items.
30 second rule:
Organise workplace to allow any tool, information or
material to be located and retrieved within 30
seconds. This includes computer files!
45 degree rule:
Immediate work area layout to minimise twisting.
Strike zone rule:
Store things above the knees and below the chest.
The higher the pounds, the closer to the
knuckles:
23Locate heavy items to eliminate bending, stooping or

2. Configure/straighten how do
we do it?
2. Use visual methods to clearly show where
each item should be located:
labels showing name, ID number, etc
shadow boards
floor tape, painted lines and footprints
colour coding

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2. Configure/straighten how do we
do it?

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3. Establish ways, preferably visual methods,

to manage the replenishment of regularly
used items including materials and
consumables:
determine the lead times for replenishment
set and clearly shown maximum storage
quantities and the point at which an item needs
to be re-ordered (ie the minimum level or re-order
point)
min-max labelling
two-bin replenishment system when the
first bin is emptied this is the signal to

2.

Configure/straighten

A configured/straightened site:
racked-out
stored items have a designated
location
locations are labelled:
description
part/order number
min and max storage
quantities
area is clean and tidy
lighting helps to improve the
storage environment and standardSets

the standard for

What impression does this give?
workplace
Would you waste time searching layout and organisation
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for the item you want?

Configure before and after

Configuring an office stationery cupboard

items stored with no defined

location
What is the stock status?

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items have
clearly defined
locations
labels used to
indicate what
should be at each
location and the

3.

Clean and check/shine

Keep things clean and in good working

Clean and check (or shine),order
is used to ensure that items are
clean and ready to be used. Regular, ideally daily, clean
and check activities are carried out to maintain the 5C
standards for cleanliness and workplace organisation.

Clean on the
surface!
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Check uncover the

problems

3.

Clean and check/shine

Keep things clean and in good working
order

Undertake regular clean and check activities.

Ensure that items are clean and ready to be used
as new:
identify any abnormal conditions (red-tag)
items missing, damaged or broken
Check for safe operating conditions.
Maintain the 5C/5S standards for cleanliness and
workplace organisation.

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3.

Clean and check/shine

Keep things clean and in good working

order

Regular clean and check activity, carried out by the

people who operate within the workplace, will create
ownership and make people aware of any issues.
Aim to make the cleaning activity part of every
days work.
On-site, work areas should be tidied and any rubbish
disposed of.
If done every day, it becomes normal practice.
Clean-up by trades as they finish a job must be
enforced, so that any wasted time experienced by
follow-on trades will be minimised.
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3.

Clean and check/shine

Keep things clean and in good working

order

should include the area as well as the tools,

equipment and plant to be used
When checking tools, equipment and plant ask:
Is it in good repair?
Is it fit for purpose?
Does the condition pose a risk to either health
and safety or quality?
If an issue is found, TAG IT!

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3.

Clean and check/shine

Putting our hands onto and cleaning

this motor, we found:

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3.

Clean and check/shine

Managing any identified issues

It is important that where any items have been

identified with issues, the resolution of these is
effectively managed.
A commonly applied 5C/5S practice is the use of
red-tagging.

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Tagging procedure

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3. Clean and check/shine redtagging

Red tags are used to provide a visual indicator of an
abnormal condition.
Brief details of the issue and possible countermeasure
are logged.
Each red tag is given a unique number to enable
recording and tracking of issues.
The red tag is tied to the item that has the issue.

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Red tag issues

Effective resolution and management
Log all red tag occurrences on a red tag action log
sheet.
Prioritise each red tag issue according to the severity
of the issue and/or urgency required for resolution:
A simple system is to categorise an issue as either
low, medium or high.
Use an agreed severity rating scale.

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3. Clean and check/shine red tag

log
A redsheet
tag log sheet is used to track the progress of
resolving red-tag issues.

4.

Conformity

The process of setting the 5C/5S standards and

making them easy to maintain by using simple
systems and processes.
It can prove difficult to maintain the 5C/5S standard
that has been set during the first three 5Cs/5Ss.
The use of forms, diagrams, checklists and clearly
defined roles and responsibilities will help ensure
that everyone in the work area can maintain the
5C/5S standard.
It is important that this information is effectively
communicated to people within the work area and to
those people who interact with the work area.
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4.

Conformity

The process of setting the 5C/5S standards and

making them easy to maintain by using simple
systems and processes.
This can be achieved by following some simple
guidelines:
pre-work set-up checklist (do you have all the tools,
materials and equipment ready?)
display how work tasks should be done
display the 5C standard of the workplace
define how the 5C standard is to be maintained (eg
clean and check rota)
use visual methods to show the location of necessary
items

4.

Conformity

A 5C/5S board
ensures
everyones
involved.

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4.

Conformity
Visually defining the workplace layout
A detailed workplace
layout chart indicating
the location of materials
and
build sequence for timber
frame erection.

A standardised work
layout chart showing
where material items
(bricks and mortar)
should be located to aim
efficient working.

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Photographs to
illustrate:
Clearout
Configure
Clean to check
Supply of Red Tags
A site layout plan
showing the
location of facilities
and is marked-up
to indicate the
Traffic Plan.

5. Custom and practice/selfdiscipline application, training and

Consistent
everyday routine

Ensuring consistent adoption and use of 5C/5S by all

personnel who are either involved directly with the
workplace or who interact with the workplace.
Train all personnel in 5C/5S its not just good
housekeeping!
Give ownership of the 5C/5S standard.
Consistently enforce the 5C/5S standard and culture.
Conduct independent 5C/5S audits.
Seek to improve the 5C/5S standard.
Good companies develop beginning with the 5Cs /5Ss,
bad companies fall apart beginning with the 5Cs/5Ss.

Hiroyuki Hirano
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5C summary steps
1. Clear-out

remove everything not bolted to the ground

get rid of all rubbish and unnecessary tools/materials/docs etc
keep, quarantine, chuck areas

2. Configure

decide what do we need?, establish optimum buffer

find everything its home
consider logistics, frequency of use, worker motion waste,
sequence of tasks
use visual aids, eg to show location, replenishment of materials,
quarantine area

3. Clean and check/shine

make sure all tools and machinery are in good condition

4. Conformity

create SOPs, eg cleaning schedule, maintenance procedures,

location chart

5. Custom and practice

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the company way

5C/5S
Auditing the 5C/5S standard

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5C/5S levels of excellence

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5C/5S audit sheet

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5C/5S
The outcomes of 5C/5S

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The outcomes of 5C/5S

improved working environment
safer since safety depends on care and
workplace organisation
improved organisation and image
helps create ownership of the working
environment and encourages teamwork

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The outcomes of 5C/5S

A standard is set :
Only items that are required or essential to
support the work are held in the area.
Essential items are organised and located in
a set position to support effective and
efficient work, with the view of minimising
wasteful motion.
Tools, plant and equipment are maintained to
support safe operations and ensure good
working conditions.

The outcomes of 5C/5S

The 5S standard:
enables any abnormal conditions to be easily
spotted
provides the basis for continuous process
improvement
gives confidence to your clients/customers
since it reflects the standards of operation to
which your business follows

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What do we get from 5C/5S?

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5C/5S
Successfully implementing
5C/5S

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Successfully implementing 5C/5S

Make sure everyone is involved.
5C /5S is the responsibility of all.
All levels of management should be involved in
decision making.
Communicate 5C/5S effectively.
Don't leave people to ask:
Why are we using these red tags?
Is 5C/5S really necessary to improve?
Go all the way.
Use the correct formats and procedures.
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Successfully implementing 5C/5S

Managers should carry out the 5C/5S audit:
spotting positive and negative conditions
identifying specific improvements
Final responsibility lies with senior management:
The board/senior management needs to take
responsibility for and show interest in 5C/5S for it to be
taken seriously.
Managers must take a strong leadership role in
promoting 5C/5S.
Never do half a job:
54 Develop procedures to maintain the discipline.

Check sheets and SOPs

Check sheets and
other
documentation can
be used to
maintain the
standard of the
revised workplace.
SOPs can also be
used to ensure that
the cleaning and
checking regimes
are in place.
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5C/5S activities
Possible team make-up and roles
An activity leader to plan, co-ordinate and organise
the team and to ensure safe working practices are
used.
Process stakeholders who do the work to gather,
clean, sort and organise all items in their workplace.
An auctioneer who will lead the sorting process in
the work area.
A scribe to record the disposition of items during
the sorting process. Also to record any red-tag
items on a red-tag log sheet.
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5C/5S activity
Example agenda for one-day 5C/5S activity
08:00 Activity kick-off and final co-ordination for the 5C/5S leader(s)
09:00 Training and activity planning for 5C/5S team
09:45 Break
10:00 Team returns to the area and conducts survey
10:15 Start sorting process (red-tag exercise carried out in-parallel)
10:45 Complete sorting process and prepare for auction
11:15 Auction (if appropriate)
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Clean and check necessary items (red-tag as necessary)
13:30
Agree locations for necessary items and configure as
appropriate
14:30 Create visual controls to support the new 5C/5S standard
15:30 Re-survey area and capture the new 5C/5S standard
16:00
Draft 5C/5S documentation and associated audit check sheet
and roles and responsibilities to maintain the standard
16:30
End of activity review with all relevant personnel

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Summary
What are the benefits of workplace
organisation?
What are the five stages of a 5S/5C activity?
What problems might a Business Improvement
Team encounter when trying to implement
5S/5C?
How would you maintain the standard of good
workplace organisation?

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