Part 1: 5S Sort – Start With Sorting

The new year is a perfect time to have a good sort out, most of us do it without even realising it is the first steps of a 5S methodology aimed at organising your workplace and making you more efficient.

Sort (Seiri) starts with clearing the work area. The idea is that your area should only have the items needed to perform the work in that particular zone. All other items should be cleared away from that area. Look at the area around you right now, how much of that do you use every day, every week or every month? Chances are, a lot of it is unnecessary.

The Sort action allows you to keep only the bare essentials needed to complete your tasks safely and successfully.

How do I start to ‘Sort’?

A great way to help you be subjective in deciding what deserves a place in your work area are tags. By tagging the items based on usage, you can quickly eliminate a lot of the clutter in your area.  A key way to define what is required is based on how frequently you use the items:

No tag – Used at least every couple of days – Leave it where is is.

Type A – Used about once a week – Remove it from the direct work area but ensure it is stored close by.

Type B – Used once a month – Store it somewhere that is accessible.

Type C – Used once a year – probably not required close by – can it be stored offsite?

Type D – No longer needed – Remove this; either sell it, return it or bin it.

Another option for tagging the items is with coloured dots – change the colour depending on the type so you can clearly differentiate between what can stay and what can go.  However, this may not work for everyone.

What do I need to ‘Sort’? 

Only a clear conscience! The key to a successful process in the end is a good beginning! Look everywhere; all of the supplies and tools that are around you, any obsolete or damaged items, overstock of component or supplies. Use this rule: “will I need it in the next 48 hours to do my job here?”.

Where to check? 

It’s amazing how we can amass items all over the place and not even recognise them after a while! Be sure to check along walls, in corners, on top of surfaces, in folders, trays, cabinets and drawers, even in your pen pot! Be sure also to check bulletins on schedule boards, is the information useful or outdated?

What to do with no longer needed products? 

Create a tagged collection area for items that you no longer need in your area or that may belong to others. It means that if someone else can use it, they can take it from there rather than getting a new one. A common function is to leave the products in the collection space for a month. If no one claims it then it can be recycled, thrown away or stored for later use.

To create a collection area, you can use our floor signal markers or floor lane marking tape to highlight the area.

Now you know what to do, get sorting!

Next in our 5S series is Part 2: 5S Set In Order