It is to sort out unnecessary items in the work place and apply stratification management to discard them e.g. Things not belonging to that area to be removed from there. If repairing is required, separate them and get them repaired. If it has to be discarded, decide first whether it has some scrap value, then sell them at the right time. If the item is all right but not useful to you, and you can’t sell them, but can be utilized by someone else, who needs it send it to them . Items which need to be discarded, must be discarded in such a way that what is discarded will not harm society, environment and even animals.

Put the things in a proper neat way. Everything should have a place and everything should be in its place. Decide the place, mark the place, put label on items. Arrange the items in such a way so that they can be picked up easily for use. During storage, keep in mind the height, weight, size, shape, safety etc. of the item. Functional storage of items will help in our day to-day use and functioning.

Here cleaning is in the form of cleaning inspection. When we are doing cleaning, we are also inspecting simultaneously, if some thing is unnecessary we are discarding those things under 1S and if during cleaning we have seen that any item is not kept in its proper place and we put them in its place, then we are doing under 2S. Hence whenever we are doing ‘3S’, it means that we are doing ‘1-S’ and ‘2-S’ simultaneously. In addition, we also check for the health of the machine, the lubrication, electrical connections etc.

Clean your work place completely so that there should not be any dust on the floor, walls, windows, desk, table, machinery etc. Cleaning should be done at Macro level first and then individual item wise and finally at micro level.

When we are doing 1-S, 2-S and 3-S, we may be facing number of problems. In ‘1-S’ it is very easy to discard items, but think why this has become unnecessary, in ‘2-S’ if things are not in proper place we simply put them back in their proper place. Here, we have to think why this has happened. In 3-S, area is dirty we clean it.

Here, again we have to think as to why this had become dirty. What is the system of cleaning, can we change the equipment/way of cleaning, can we arrest the source by which the area has become dirty. All these thinking will give some solution through Brain Storming. Try to find out good solutions and standardise them as a part of the system.

This means whatever system we are having or developed under ‘4-S’ they have to be followed in such a way that, standard practices become a part of our lives. This will help to maintain high levels of work place organization at all the time.

• Top management exposure programme
• To incorporate ‘5-S’ in management objectives.
• Formation of ‘5-S’ steering committee. This committee will meet once in a month periodically and regularly review the implementation status. Committee will also discuss for future plan of action.
• Nomination of coordinating agency and Chief coordinator.
• Identify trainers. (Internal Resource Persons)
• Start awareness by organising exposure programme for all the employees at all levels.
• Organise programmes for families, students, contract labourers and shopkeepers connected with the company, because it is a Total effort.
• Distribute hand bills, reading material etc.

• After awareness programme to Sr. Executives, they must implement ‘5-S’ in their respective office/chamber. This should start from head of the plant. This will provide credibility.
• Management should observe the status of a few important areas which are ‘no man’s land, before starting ‘5-S’ in specific areas, viz. Toilets, Main Gate, Cycle/Scooter stand, Canteen, Hospital, Places where Drinking water, Notice Board, P&A department etc.
• Divide the total area into convenient zones. HOD’s will be the convener of the zones.
• HOD will further divide the zone into sub-zones. This may be in required numbers. For each sub zone, HOD will make some one responsible. They will be the council member for that zone.
• Council members may further divide the sub-zone into sub-sub-zones. Member of such sub-sub-zones will depend upon the number of employees working in that area as each and every person will be responsible for the area assigned to them.
• Group will visit each corner of the area and modify the action plan as may be suitable for the working place.
• Participate in Goal setting. Follow the progress of each step of ‘5-S’. Take pictures of all the areas before the activities begin. Participate in the implementing process. Take pictures after the activities are implemented. Keep developing. Evaluate and set standards for the ‘5-S’.

• Each zone/sub-zone area-wise check list has to be made.
• Council Member, along with few members of that area, will evaluate the implementation of ‘5-S’ in their area as per check list.
• Once in a month, zone convener/ HOD of the area will visit the total area to witness the implementation status.
• Once in a quarter, the member of the Steering Committee must visit the total area along with the action plan of that area and check list and assess progress.

To develop the competitiveness, steering committee should start evaluating the ‘5-S’ implementation status on the basis of evaluation criteria to be decided by the committee. This evaluation should be done atleast 6 times in a year. Marks obtained are displayed in their area. - Those zones getting 70% or more marks, may be given one ‘5-S’ shield. This should be displayed along with Marks in the concerned area. This should be withdrawn, if the area is not able to maintain minimum 70% marks.

Develop motivational ways. Conduct slogan, poster, poem, drama etc. related to ‘5-S’. - Propagate this concept in colonies, market, school etc., in and around the factory. - Telecast the well kept areas, home, shops etc. through cable TV for propagation of ‘5-S’. - Visit such organisation where ‘5-S’ is implemented effectively and benchmark.