Technique of Kaizen: 5s Housekeeping

One of the most popular and widely used techniques of Kaizen management is 5s housekeeping. 5s is considered a foundation of lean concepts and also a fundamental principle of Kaizen, as it establishes the operational stability required for making and sustaining continuous improvements.

5S is a set of five Japanese words that start with a sound of “se” or “shi”, that are Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke. Each of these Japanese words has its own meaning. Shari means sorting, Seiton means straighten or set in order, Seiso is means sweeping or cleaning, Seiketsu is means standardizing and lastly Shitsuke is means sustaining the discipline.

5S emphasizes the importance of working hygiene. It is based on Japanese housekeeping practice. 5S is necessary to ensure a clean and orderly working environment with a highly visible management, it helps focus employees to maintain a clean and efficient workplace and also helps them to be aware of their working environment and the state of the tools and machinery they use.

5S is not a one short practice but is a continuous process. The actual methodology of 5S is shown in figure 1. Firstly, it is required to complete from stage 1 till stage 5 and it does not end at stage 5, but it repeats the stage all over again infinitely.




Stage one is Seiri, it also translated as “Sorting”. Seiri means going through all the tools and materials in the plant work areas and only keeping the items that are essential and all others tools and items are stored or discarded.

Stage two is Seiso, it also translated as “Shine”, “Shining” or “Sweeping”. This is simply the need to keep the workplace clean and neat.

Stage three is Seiton, it also translated as “Straighten” or “Set in order”. Seiton is a process that focuses on efficiency. The goal is to arrange tools, equipment, and parts so that they encourage workflow.

Stage four is Seiketsu. It also translated as “Standardizing”. This simply means that work practices operate consistently and in a standardized manner.

Stage five or the last stage is Shitsuke, it also translated as “Sustain” which refers to maintaining high standards and reviewing those standards. It is a way to maintain focus on the this system of operation and not allowing people or processes to slip back into old habits.

by Tan Houng Chien