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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Using 5S to improve efficiency in your AP Department

It is amazing how small changes can make a big difference. 5S has personally helped me double my efficiency in the past year, so I'm a believer! Here is my take on 5S:


1) Sorting - Get rid of all unneeded items in within your reach. Keep commonly used items close by. (i.e. things that you use every couple of minutes should not be in a drawer and things you haven't used in a month shouldn't be in front of you). 
2) Straightening - Once your things are arranged in the right spots, make sure they return to the same place after each use.
3) Sweeping / Shining - Keep everything clean and organized. This reduced the time wasted looking for lost items.
4) Standardizing - Workstations that are organized the same will make it easy for a coworker to find work items when you are on vacation or out on a mental health day!
5) Sustain - Keeping up steps 1 through 5 and continuously looking to improve the process.





-RR

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