Lean Manufacturing 5S Kaizen Event at the Dynalink Laboratory
by: Jennifer Hoffman, Product Engineer and Don Dahl, Quality Engineer, Dynalink
posted: December 2006/January 2007

Anticipation for Ford’s presentation of Q1 certification to Dynalink on Tuesday October 31st was enough of a motivator for Dynalink to implement their own rendition of ‘Extreme Makeover…Lab Addition’. The core team consisting of John Kohut, Don Dahl, Tony Torres, Luis Delgado, and Jennifer Hoffman applied the theories of the 5S system (Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain) in the Dynalink Laboratory over a 2-day 5S training period.

The initial goal was clear...turn the laboratory into the showplace it was meant to be. However, the main objective of this exercise was to organize the workplace in such a way that it is a more functional, clean, and safe working environment which in turn eliminates waste and reduces cost. The two day blitz mainly consisted of the ‘sorting, setting in order, and shining’ part of the system.

To toss or not to toss…that is the question!
A major part of the sorting process consists of determining what is junk, displaced, or unused. For items in a questionable status, a ‘red tag’ is placed on them and then removed to a designated red tag holding area. The idea is that after a specified amount of time, items would be thrown out. This provides ample opportunities for any employee to sort through and retrieve any desired items and eliminates unnecessary clutter in the area in which the 5S is in effect.

A place for everything and everything in its place!
The key to having an orderly and functional workplace is to have a ‘home’ for everything in its working environment. It is important to consider frequency of use, availability, and safety. Think labels. Think bins. Think limit lines. The likelihood of equipment or tools being returned to the proper location increases dramatically if it is clearly defined where it belongs. Furthermore, it makes it easy to know if something is missing when everything is labeled.

Spit shine without the spit!
Shine is the third S in the 5S system. Not only does a clean working environment make a good show piece but one can perform a proper inspection and assessment through this act of ‘housekeeping’. As you are cleaning, ask yourself: Is everything where it belongs? Does anything need to be replaced or repaired?

Total Employee Involvement (TEI)
It is one thing to turn the lab inside out when you have 5 dedicated workers to make this happen. However, the bigger and more challenging task is to continue the
5S system on a daily basis. Standards need to be made and understood by all involved and the theories behind the 5S system should be passed on to all appropriate employees. For example, Dynalink has implemented a weekly ‘Lab Cleanliness Checklist’ to help sustain what the core team has already started.

The two day 5S training was just the tip of the iceberg for Dynalink. The laboratory is far from complete but has definitely moved in the right direction. Dynalink intends to implement what they learned through the 5S system in other areas of the facility as well. The 5S system can catch like wildfire. Someone needs to provide the spark and Ford did that for us.