Everything Lean For Leaders And Their Teams

Building Continuous Improvement Management Systems

Lean Consulting

Lean Training

Lean Products

Lean Support Services

Forms and Tools

Lean Dictionary
Consulting Training Products Services Forms Dictionary

Call us at 1.800.670.5805

Email UseView Cart

Gotta Go Lean BlogView Cart

Gotta Go Lean Blog

What 5S (Lean) disease strikes millions?

Flat Surface Syndrome (FSS)

 

I am a devotee of 5S. I love what 5S does for my effectiveness at work. I keep things organized, make my workspace support what I do, and prioritize all my ‘tools’ (books, computer peripherals, etc.) so the most important things are at arm’s reach. 

Despite that, I still constantly struggle with keeping the flat surfaces in my office free of miscellaneous items.

I do well when an area is clear, but as soon as a single piece of paper gains a foothold, I fight an uphill battle to keep it from getting completely swamped.

Unfortunately, I am not alone in my affliction. FSS is prevalent in nearly every operation, and takes constant attention to keep it from getting out of control.

What 5S steps can you take? Some suggestions:

  1. Don’t have flat surfaces. Stuff can’t pile up if there is no place for it to sit.
  2. Create designated locations on the flat surfaces you do have. And clearly mark them. People seem more reluctant to put things in the wrong place than they are to put them in an unmarked space.
  3. Audit the items that are piling up, and see if they really are necessary. If not, get rid of them. If they are, build a better process that does something with the stuff that is covering your workspace. Piles indicate a problem with a process.

Above all, designate a short period each day to clear off your desk or workbench. People seem reluctant to leave something on a pristine workspace. But the first item out of place acts like a beacon that attracts more stuff.

What 5S ‘S’ does this fall under? Sustaining. If you start each day with a clear workspace, you will keep the clutter to a minimum.

See some of our related Lean Training System components…

Add a Comment

Share Your Thoughts    |No comments|

By Jeff Hajek

© 2009-2012 by Velaction Continuous Improvement, LLC. All rights reserved.

March 22nd, 2009

Learn about

the author,

Jeff Hajek.

Don't forget to sign up for my Gotta Go Lean Blog.

Via RSSrss-feed-3d

Dopwnload our free Lean forms and Tools

Lean Blog-Gotta Go Lean | Tags:

Other Information You May Be Interested In...

  1. The One-Week Move-to-Gemba Managers’ Challenge Very few managers have their desks right out in gemba—the workplace they manage. It is unfortunate, as being right where the action is provides a tremendous value. Managers absorb a...
  2. Lean: Standard Work & Lean Success in 8 Easy Steps Let’s start out by assuming that you understand the definition of Lean standard work and are familiar with the three main documents for standard work. Armed with that basic information,...
  3. 5S (+ Lean PDF, +Video) One of the fundamental tools in any Lean toolkit is 5S. In a nutshell, it entails creating an organized, effective workspace that supports the processes being performed in the area....
  4. 5S and Visual Management – Lean Webinar 5S is a means of organizing and maintaining a workspace to promote effective operations. This level of organization allows visual management, which is the practice of making conditions in a...
  5. What Lean Is Really All About To the person who is recently introduced to it, Lean often appears to merely be a set of tools that helps improve quality and  lower costs while making deliveries faster...

Comments and Feedback:

Please leave feedback about this post.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.