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INTRODUCTION TO 5S USED IN APPAREL INDUSTRY
The 5S is a method for organising a workplace, especially a shared workplace (like a shop
floor or an office space). The methodology originates from a Japanese housekeeping idea
named because of the five Japanese words each designing with a letter Se or Shi. They are
seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Sort - "When in doubt, throw it out".
Straighten - "A place for everything, and everything in its place".
Sweep "The best cleaning is to not need cleaning".
Standardise "See and recognise what needs to be done".
Self-discipline- "The less self-discipline you need, the better".
The key targets of 5S are workplace morale and efficiency. The assertion of 5S is, by
assigning everything a location, time is not wasted by looking for things. Additionally, it is
quickly obvious when something is missing from its designated location. The 5S advocates
believe that the benefits of this methodology come from deciding what should be kept,
where it should be kept, and how it should be stored. This decision making process
should lead to a dialogue, which can build a clear understanding, among employees, of
how work should be done. It also instils ownership of the process in each employee.
Literature survey
The 5S concept has its origin in Japan (first within Toyota) in the later part of 20 th
century. Each of the five S's denote the first letter of five Japanese words (Seiri, Seiton,
Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke) that outline the steps involved in modern workplace
management/housekeeping.
The logic behind the 5S practices is that organisation, neatness, cleanliness, standardisation
and self-discipline at the workplace can help production of high quality products and delivery
of high quality services with little or no waste, and with high productivity. The 5S has become
the way of doing business not only to impress the customers but also to establish effective
quality processes as prerequisites for good products and services. The 5S training and
implementation can be carried out separately or as part of ISO9001:2008/Lean
Manufacturing/Six Sigma implementation. With its universal appeal, the 5S can be effectively
implemented in any organisation from any business sector.
The learning objectives of 5-S training kit are:
1. To understand the 5-S concept.
2. To learn the 5-S implementation steps.
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3. To learn how to assess the 5-S implementation status.
The 5S brings out the logic of lean. It is a "lean enabler". Mr Larry Simmons, general
manager and the main 5S guru at Merritt Tool, has a more down-to-earth view of all this.
"It's a way to help people get more done by working half as hard so that the company
can make more money," he says. This view is enthusiastically shared by Mr A P Merritt, Jr
President of Merritt Tool and son of the founder.
The 5S can be defined as:
1. Seiri (Sort)
It is an action to identify and sort the available items at workplace as wanted and unwanted
items. Remove all unwanted items like old/torn files, expired receipts, waste papers,
broken pens or pencils and dump in a carton box. The whole idea of doing this is preventing
disturbance and overcrowding caused by unnecessary items. Now sort the wanted items as
low use, average use and high use items. Keeping things of low use, which are used once in
six months or a year, for example reference books or Tax and insurance papers at a
distance. Placing the things of average use (used once or twice in two months or 6 months)
in the centre and things of high use, which are used frequently, can be kept right at the
workstation.
Implementation steps:
Taking before pictures helps see the change better.
Segregating wanted & unwanted materials in all Zones
Image - company can use similar red tags for removing things that are not needed. (Image source- www fabufacture .
co . uk)
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2. Seiton (Set-in-Order)
Now that the things are sorted out, the next step is to set them in order of their use. Placing
the old files in the lower most drawers, and the things like cello tape, stapler, stapler pins,
file clips pens, pencils on top of the table. Next step is to label the drawers and cupboards
for convenience. The ultimate goal is that if anyone needs something they could get it
within 30 seconds at your workstation. Guide tapes on the floors shall be added and also for
making parameters for keeping things like boxes, trollies or any other material.
Implementation steps:
Identifying all materials by Name/Number/Colour code, etc.
Making a suitable storage place/parking slots and fix the place for storing each
item depending on the frequency of usage.
Establish a method of storage for each item, which is easy to see, pick and place.
Images - examples of tape markings for set-in-order (Image source- visualworkplaceinc.com)
3. Seiso (Shine)
Not waiting until the work place gets dirty. Cleaning ones own workplace on a regular basis,
including furniture, equipment so that they do not get a chance to get dirty. Maintaining a
job cycle checklist can be a better option for attaining shine in the work floor.
Implementation steps:
Preparing a cleaning schedule for all parts of department covering
Where to clean - Area
What to clean -Item
When to clean - Frequency
Who has to clean - Responsibility
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How to clean - Method & cleaning tool or kit.
Image - Example of a 5's shine job cycle.
(Image source -http://www.picquery.com/5s-shine-
checklist_X*WuxlT%7C5DURd7CbZPttrv%7CpNUT*%7CPFqFrifKg0ZCIg/ )
4. Seiketsu (Standardise)
Creating guidelines or standards to keep work area organised, orderly and clean. The
standards should be made visual and obvious. By doing this it will be helpful for oneself and
others to follow. For example, one can put a label of "Personal" on one of his drawers
where he has kept his personal documents, so that no one else other than him can open it.
Formation of SOP (Standard Operational Procedures) can be a good option. It contains
The working process flow charts
DO and DONT in the department
Report to whom for what
Implementation steps:
Listing out the various activities of 5S.
Following the guidelines for floor marking throughout the organisation.
5. Shitsuke (Sustain)
This is a condition, which ensures that one follows all the above-mentioned steps on
a regular basis as a way of life.
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There is no point of cleaning when it cannot be maintained at the same. Once standards
and methods have been set it becomes a duty to review it from time to time. Educating
everyone about 5S, for maintenance of office standards so that each individual can be more
productive and thoughtful is the way to sustain things.
Implementation steps
5S Chairman & Zone leaders should monitor all the 5S activities continuously.
Create work discipline with the help of employees working in the particular area and
to suit the requirement.
General problems addressed in an apparel company
When applied to a factory, 5s can help solve the following types of common problems:
Space crowded with parts and tools.
Unneeded items stacked between workers.
Excess inventory on the floor.
Excess items and machines hinder process flow.
Equipment is dirty and not serviced regularly.
Needed equipment, such as tools, is difficult to find.
Methodology
5S is a Japanese word meaning Housekeeping.
5S is a basic technique to enhance the workplace appearance and give a
pleasant work environment.
5S is a methodology for organising, cleaning, developing, and sustaining a
productive work environment.
Reference - http://www.indiantextilejournal.com/articles/FAdetails.asp?id=4499
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QUESTIONNAIRE FORMAT
1. Name
2. Department
Sort
3. Is sorting done in all work areas?
4. What are the things you find not required in the department? (any material or fabric or
files which is not required or are taking space)
5. Would it be helpful for reducing handling time if racks were labelled and also the places with
certain material had visual boards?
Straighten
6. Is straighten done for aisles and passageways?
7. Is straighten done for materials stored in production?
8. Is straighten done in storage areas for equipment (shop floor and office) and hand tools?
Shine
9. Is sufficient cleaning done in the department?
10. Have employees showed efforts in maintaining cleanliness over their working space?
Standardize
11. Are materials/tools returned back to the place they were taken from?
12. How often have you seen the employees reading the notice boards and following up
accordingly?
13. Do you think a SOP chart would be a helpful thing for your department?
14. Any suggestions/ideas of 5S regarding your department?
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DEPARTMENTAL SUGGESTIONS
1. Merchandising Department -
The department has sorted arrangements.
Straightening and cleanliness is adequate.
Sorted buyer wise.
Suggestions
Lots of files and paper work.
Addition of cabinets and removal of old files and samples can be a good way
of clearing up office space. By prioritizing the mainly used and common
know styles the place could reduce some more of space. Another option is
keeping the records of various styles in a large hard bound file according to
buyers that could be used only in the merchandising department and will
save additional multiple files to be taken care of.
Sample display and sitting arrangements.
A double rack system (image below) could be an option regarding the
sample display issue. It takes the same space as the old one and can provide
twice the size of space for more sample pieces.
Image - Double rack
(Image source -http:// descombd.com/great-new-double-clothes-rack-residence-remodel/great-2017-double-
pole-clothing-rack-landing-clothing-display-rack-about-double-clothes-rack-remodel/)
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2. Stores Department
Sorted buyer wise.
Unused materials are disposed.
Straightening is done.
Suggestions
Cleaning is average.
The stores hold all of the raw materials, one that needs a proper
cleaning. Due to the dust and due to not proper arrangement the fabrics
could get spoiled and thus get cut off while inspection.
Fabric storage needs a rack system and manpower reduction.
The accessories racks is a well example of the rack management in the
stores which not only saves the space but makes the raw materials available
at the same place with better than ever synchronization. The cost of
installing these could be looked upon as per the budget and break even.
Further the advantages would be placement of fabrics in just 2 houses
rather than in 4 and the remaining spaces could be used for other purposes
in future for keeping as storage for documents and samples or maybe
utilizing for office spaces or conference rooms or such. It could be used upon
as further use. If not that a better labelling and setting up sign boards for
particular buyers and setting up an area could be a good idea towards visual
management of the stores.
Image - Rack management
(Image source-http://aapgroup.com.kh/product/fabric-rack/)
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3. Sampling and CAD Department
The department has sorted arrangements.
No unwanted material.
Straightening and cleanliness is adequate.
Suggestions
Proper cabinet and space required for keeping equipment and fabrics in one
place.
The cabinet space that the sampling department holds can be increased to a
lot more than it is currently. The sampling room contains a lot of fabrics and
equipment and they need to be kept in a proper arranged place with a
better cabinet space. The current cabinet space with one big 3 compartment
cabinet and 2 small cabinets with sub compartments can be either re-
oriented or a new cabinet system could be proposed with dimension of 5.33
X 13.33 feet. Other option is re organising the fabric rolls shelf for additional
space. Since the space in the sampling department is compact shifting of
cutting table can be an option for additional space near the fabric roll shelf.
4. Cutting Department
Straightening and cleanliness is adequate.
No unwanted material.
Suggestions
Storage of cut pieces needs to be revised.
Currently the storage of cut pieces are done under the tables but at some
point the tables get full and need additional space for the cut pieces to be.
The racks that are used in the company could use some repair by the
workshop so that they hold maximum of the extra cut parts.
Also by developing marker boxes in the workshop by old containers, the
space taken by the markers on the racks can be useful for some other
purpose. The development of marker paper stand can be made in the
workshop at a low cost. It will save up to two rack spaces.
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Image - The picture above is the current marker placement under cutting department.
(Image source - Cutting department, Simba Apparels EPZ)
Image - Marker paper stand
(Image source - https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/Visual-Management-and-Technical-Furniture-for-the-
development-of-garments-manufacturing-process-focusing-cutting-section.pdf)
Labels need marking over the pattern hung over the walls
Since the patterns are needed by various QCs it should be set in order by
buyer types and labelled above for better visual management. It further
decreases the search time and also keeping it back to that place will make it
easier for the other QCs to find it.
5. Mechanics Department
Sorting is not all that much.
Straightening is done.
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Suggestions
Need to reduce search time
The mechanics department has a lot of machine parts and tools thus they
require more adequate sorting and space for it. Since the mechanics have
to work quick during a breakdown they need to gather all the right tools
and equipment but having a lot of compartments and boxes the search
time of the employee increases and they have to browse through varies
folders for finding the right part of the machine.
Image - Before and after pictures of labelling and sorting of Mechanics department
(Image source- Mechanics Department, Simba Apparels EPZ)
Need of safety signs
The department shall have safety signs and labels over the heavy machineries
that require proper glasses and other safety tools to be wore by the worker.
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Image - Addition of signs stressing on using of safety tools
(Image source - Mechanics Department, Simba Apparels EPZ)
6. Sewing Department
Sorting done in places where required.
Materials storage straightening is done.
Suggestions
Line aisles can be better.
Aisle and passage ways shall always be free from any obstruction. It is
acceptable for the boxes required for holding the materials and cut pieces to
be there if an operator is using it but those which are unused and just left
there are the problem for the movement of the other materials. Also other
operators need to find these empty trollies and boxes, hence increasing
their search time and causing the other depending worker to be delayed.
If supervisors keep care of this by maintaining a proper place for keeping
these trollies in two passage way routes one by the main gate and one by
the second. By doing this it will be easily accessible to the workers and
they need to return it when the work is done.
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Image - Empty trollies present similarly around the lines; irregular placement of tables and boxes.
(Image source- Sewing line, Simba Apparels EPZ)
Tool returning can be better.
The most required tools are scissors and thread trimmers when we come in
sewing line. Their life is not much if not handled properly. According to 5s the
tools which are needed at a specific position must always be present there.
The sewing lines have few machines that have thread trimmers attached to the
machines and maximum dont. Following this not only helps the thread
trimmers to be in a place but also from falling down and losing the spring
tension. Also at the end of day the supervisors should check the trimmers still
present at the respected places or not. Small costs are increased over the
pocket of the company due to loss of these trimmers.
Image - suggested placement of trimmers tied to machine
(Image source- Brandix, Vishakhapatnam)
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Awareness of 5s shine principles
Since the machines run continuously they need to be clean at intervals. As
per the cleaning is noticed, once the workers come in the morning they
clean the machines before starting the work. The machines hold problems
regarding accumulation of dust and lint which causes machine to stop or
work irregularly. To avoid such a problem an individual acceptance of
cleaning the machines shall be developed within the workers for that
awareness shall be given. The operators must be made aware of the
working of the machinery when dust and such are accumulated over it.
If not on 2-3 hourly basis at least, machines should be cleaned twice during
the working hours. Once in the morning is necessary and once after the
lunch break at 2 pm.
Image - Dust accumulation over the working hours.
(Image source- Sewing line, Simba Apparels EPZ)
7. Washing Department
Sorting is done.
Straightening and cleanliness is adequate.
Tools and materials returned properly.
Suggestions
Change of racks and labelling required.
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The department holds a lot of materials and chemicals. When the
department was studied it was seen that an additional rack could be
useful for keeping chemical boxes in proper arrangement and labelled so
that it is easily visible.
Change of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)
MSDS notice board present currently is corroding due to the working
conditions of the washing department also due to not proper maintenance
of sheets. MSDS sheets are very important when working with chemicals. A
better orientation of the sheets and boards can be better for a visual
management and accessibility to the workers. One should not search more
when a MSDS sheet is required; it should be clear and in front.
Image - MSDS sheet orientation in the washing section; MSDS sheet.
(Image source- Washing department, Simba Apparels EPZ)
Image - Suggested MSDS sheet folder.
(Image source - https://m.alibaba.com/guide/shop/horizon-3024-english-msds-right-to-know-center-3-ring-red-on-
yellow-holds-600-sheets-case-of-3_52016164.html)
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Check of fire extinguishers.
No blockage should be der and should be checked time to time when
working in a big machine department.
8. Finishing Department
Straightening and cleanliness is adequate.
Tools and materials returned properly.
No unwanted material.
Sub-store to keep trim stocks in department.
Suggestions
Need of stacking poly packed garments.
Since the lack of trolleys with division between them for stacking various
poly packed garments, these garments are kept in cardboard boxes
increasing both the handling time and space. Once an ideal trolley set is
established in the packing department the movement of these goods will
be quicker and in divisional order easy for separation.
If the workshop can add shelves to present big trolleys by welding and
remove one face side of the trolley they can be cheaper and also serve
the purpose of separate compartments. This will be easy on pocket and
serve better in finishing department since separate sizes and ratio can be
kept differently and be easy to pack in containers.
Image current used boxes to keep the pieces sorted Image - suggested trolley rack
(Image source (trolley) - https://www.ezrshelving.com/5-shelf-trolley.html)
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Measurement tables can use maintenance
Over the time various orders have come and on and the paper with
measurements stick on the table can need cleaning and a better
orientation. Various orders pilled on the tables can be removed and the
latest or forecasted measurements can be placed. For different Buyers or
garment types different colour paper can be used for markings and stick on
the tables.
Image - Measurement strips stick on the table
(Image source - Finishing Department, Simba Apparels EPZ)
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CONCLUSION
The conclusion that we get from the project is that following certain principles can lead to
changes that are profitable to the company. These principles have been used in various
companies and have given good results with respect to handling of things and providing the
right thing at right place. When the study was done in the company a lot of things were
taken under consideration which included that certain changes require a heavy pocket but
some of the small changes can be brought in the company itself by the help of workshop
inside the premises.
When these principles were followed in the mechanics department, the workers found it
easier to search for parts and tools. Certain shelves held different parts but now after
naming all of them there is less mixing of the parts and tools. The search time reduced
increases the pace of repair which increases the productive time.
5s definitely brings in various changes which are quick and productive, but it needs
sustainability. One needs to understand its importance and advantages. Monitoring them
weekly or monthly will let these changes to last longer and increase the productivity of the
company. Hence, an audit should be done very month. I have hence attached an audit sheet
at the end of this file
(Audit sheet source - https://www.slideshare.net/bengeck/5s-sudit-
checklist?from_action=save)
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