5S in Production
5S in Production: Five Steps to a Stable Workstation
5S is more than tidying up. The method translates the workflow into a visible, clear and permanently maintainable system of organisation. Every item is given a purpose and a place—and every deviation becomes an opportunity for improvement.
1. Sort: What is actually needed?
Remove everything that is not required for daily operations. Tools, materials and aids are checked, labelled and assigned: keep them at the workstation, store them or remove them from the area. This creates the basis for a lean and organised workstation.
2. Set in order: Every tool has its place
Organise the required tools according to frequency of use, process step and reach. Fixed locations, labels, foam inserts and mobile modules make it immediately clear what is available and what is missing. The best storage location is where the tool is needed.
3. Shine, standardise and secure
Cleaning also means checking: damage, wear and missing tools become visible. Photo standards, return locations and short shift checks are then defined. With suitable GEDORE tool trolleys, Check-Tool inserts and WORKMO or L-BOXX solutions, organisation remains manageable during ongoing operations.
A Practical Example: 5S Maintenance Workstation with GEDORE 2005
Initial situation
A four-person maintenance team is responsible for several production systems. The tools are currently spread out:
- across different workbenches
- in personal tool cases
- in mobile bags
- directly at individual machines
This results in search times, duplicate stocks and unclear return processes. As a pilot project, a central, mobile maintenance workstation is set up.
The GEDORE solution
The equipment includes:
- GEDORE tool trolley 2005 0511 E
- with seven drawers
- compatible with suitable GEDORE 2005 CT modules, such as the GEDORE S 2005 BASIC tool assortment
- supplemented by two individually planned foam inserts for tools specific to the area
The two bottom drawers are deliberately configured individually. This ensures that torque tools and specialist tools are not placed loose in unused compartments but are also given clearly defined contours and fixed locations.
How 5S is implemented
1. Sort: First, the entire maintenance tool inventory is recorded. Each tool is assigned to one of three categories:
- required daily: goes into the GEDORE 2005
- required occasionally: goes into the labelled reserve
- defective, duplicated or no longer required: is repaired, relocated or discarded
Example: The area contains six different socket sets. After taking inventory, a decision is made as to which equipment is actually required for typical repair tasks. The remaining stock is not transferred to the new trolley without being organised.
2. Set in order: Every tool is given a fixed place in the appropriate CT insert. The arrangement follows the actual workflow:
- top: frequently used hand tools
- middle: sockets and spanners
- bottom: specialist and testing tools
- within the inserts: organised logically by size and frequency of use
The two-colour foam inserts make it immediately visible when a tool is missing. Each tool is securely held in its own recess and can be removed using the integrated finger recesses.
3. Shine: The GEDORE 2005 is integrated into the daily cleaning and condition inspection:
- clean the drawers and work surface
- check tools for damage
- inspect ratchets and joints
- check sockets for wear
- check the status and identification of torque tools
- remove foreign tools
- inspect the castors and locks
Cleaning thus also becomes a brief inspection.
4. Standardise: The target condition is made visible on the tool trolley:
- trolley ID: IH-01
- assignment: maintenance
- label on each drawer
- photo of the fully equipped trolley
- marked parking space
- defined return process
- identification of defective or missing tools
5. Sustain and improve: A five-minute check is carried out at the end of each shift:
- Are all tools present?
- Is an insert location empty?
- Is a foreign tool in the trolley
- Has a tool been borrowed
- Is a tool damaged?
- Does a replacement or additional tool need to be ordered?
Once a week, the team checks whether the arrangement still matches the actual workflow. If a tool is regularly left on the work surface even though it is supposed to be stored in a drawer, the cause is investigated. The location may have been chosen incorrectly, or the tool may be needed more often than originally assumed.
Checklist: Start 5S in Your Own Area
Use this checklist for an initial walk-through of your production area. Do not only mark visible disorder, but above all the areas where time, safety or process stability are being lost.
- define the area and objective of the 5S pilot project
- record the complete tool and material inventory
- sort out items that are unnecessary, duplicated or damaged
- arrange tools according to frequency of use and process step
- define fixed storage locations, labels and return locations
- plan visible shadow boards or suitable foam inserts
- select a tool trolley, workbench, WORKMO or L-BOXX suitable for the application
- introduce a photo standard and a short shift or handover inspection
- assign responsibility for deviations
- review, improve and transfer the process to other areas after two to four weeks
Ready to Take Organisation in Your Workplace to the Next Level?
In our shop, you will find everything you need for workshop organisation. If you are planning a larger, more complex project, our sales team will also be happy to assist you.
Answers to the most frequently asked questions
5S is a method for organising the workplace. It comprises sorting, setting in order, shining, standardising and sustaining discipline, meaning the long-term maintenance and improvement of the standard.
5S can reduce search times, make workstations more organised and safer, make missing tools easier to identify and support compliance with repeatable work standards.
Depending on the application, suitable solutions for tool organisation include fully equipped or empty tool trolleys and workbenches, Check-Tool or foam inserts, drawer organisation and mobile solutions such as WORKMO and L-BOXX.
No. 5S can be applied to individual workstations, setup areas, assembly areas, maintenance teams and workshops. A clearly defined pilot area is often the best place to start.
