Implementing 5S in your organisation is a practical and effective way to eliminate unnecessary waste. This systematic form of visual management uses everything from floor tape to operations manuals, and it stands for Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain.
The implementation of 5S should be done in two stages: first, eliminate waste, and second, create a system where everything has a designated place. However, 5S is not just about tidying up the workplace; it is also about maximising efficiency and profit. In Lean, eliminating waste removes obstructions to the flow of people, products, services, information or materials. When all of these elements work together correctly, businesses can succeed and thrive.
Klimmek Furniture
Knut Klimmek attended our Lean Business Tools program with South Dublin Local Enterprise Office in May 2019. Klimmek Furniture, founded by Knut after completing design studies at Parnham College in Dorset, England in 1986, is a craft-based workshop with traditionally trained cabinet makers who possess excellent hand skills for intricate furniture pieces. In addition, they use modern technologies such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Machines (CAM) for precision and efficiency.
The blend of traditional and modern skills is empowering and allows us to tackle projects that would often be beyond us.
5S Control System
First of all, Knut and his team implemented a control system to identify labour issues and take corrective measures early on. This minimised impact on projects and the business overall. Next, they implemented the 5S methodology and visual management boards through the Lean Business Tools program to improve communication among employees.
Visual Management Boards
Visual Management Boards are an essential tool for Klimmek Furniture.
Firstly, they provide consistent and easy-to-understand information to all staff members.
Secondly, each project starts with a production meeting, where key elements are identified and planned out on the board.
- Thirdly, the boards provide the team with all the information relevant to the start of each job. They agree who is doing what, when and the time allocated. The boards track the schedule daily, including information on the budget, labour, and raw materials.
- Furthermore, they make house-keeping measurable and provide updates on daily conditions.
Finally, the company has standardised job sheets, updated standard work practices, and implemented a control system for staff time and task management.
Results
Results to date have been impressive. During our Lean programme, Klimmek Furniture increased their capacity by 20% and they also achieved savings of €25,000 pa.
Thanks again to Steve Halpin and his team for your input which has been invaluable. Your involvement in the mentoring sessions has also been key in getting the guys to buy into the process. It has allowed me to step back and give the team the space to voice opinions and make suggestions more freely.
The implementation of the new control system, which allows us to track budget over-runs on a daily basis, has been a key factor in the process of getting the team to understand and be involved in the daily process to reduce budget over and under runs. It’s an ongoing process to embed this new system and the project visual management board in the daily routine. But we have come a long way.
I strongly feel that once all the changes are fully embedded and in place, we will be in a much better position to expand our staff again and scale the business into the future. Knut Klimmek
Interested in improving workplace efficiency in your organisation? Contact us or inquire about the next Lean Business program. Check out our blog for insights on Lean Approach to Business Improvement and Reaping the Benefits of Value Stream Mapping. Stay up-to-date on Lean news and insights by following us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Learn from our client, Klimmek Furniture, on how they implemented 5S to improve their workplace efficiency.
