For years now, Japan has been a leader in industrial manufacturing. Therefore, we can learn a lot from them and their working methodologies. Among these, 5S and Poka Yoke are some of the most popular. Want to know why and how they work? This is your article.

The philosophy and principles of Lean Manufacturing encompass a wide range of techniques aimed at eliminating everything that represents waste from a productivity standpoint.

To perfectly carry out this task of “industrial waste management,” the strategies defined by 5S and Poka Yoke provide guidelines and measures that will leave your factory spotless and overflowing with efficiency.

So, if, like true industrialists, you’re obsessed with order and making things simple and function as efficiently as possible, you should take a look at the foundations of 5S and Poka Yoke. Are you ready to dive in?

What are the 5S in industry?

If we want to know the origins of 5S, we must go back to 1960 and travel to the Japanese company Toyota. It was then that Sakichi and Kiichiro Toyoda, along with engineer Taiichi Ohno, sought an alternative to Henry Ford’s assembly line.

The goal of the 5S methodology is to eliminate the unnecessary, those things that do not contribute to the manufacturing process, both in terms of materials and the behaviors of those involved in each stage of it.

Among these elements to eliminate, we can highlight disorder and dirt, unnecessary movements, physical risks for workers, or the lack of standards that clearly define work guidelines, among others.

How to implement the 5S?

The first step to start implementing a 5S system in industry is to carefully analyze the different workstations, procedures, and associated workflows.

Among these phases of manufacturing, some of the most common are incurred times; physical blockages, such as aisles; organization, autonomy, and skills of workers; ergonomic and safety aspects; bottlenecks; and logistical and industrial quality aspects.

With this in-depth knowledge, we will know exactly how to act, defining achievable and measurable short-term goals, so that improvements can be clearly observed.

Preliminary considerations

One of the first questions that will come to mind is whether 5S should be implemented across the entire factory or if it should be done gradually by areas.

The most advisable option is the second one, delimiting an area or phase of the manufacturing process in which to experiment, measure, and learn progressively from the mistakes made, and then apply this knowledge to the rest of the plant.

Now, it is time to address the 5 fundamental steps that give the methodology its name.

1.- Seiri

Seiri aims to remove what is not needed to carry out our work. Examples of these surplus elements include objects that hinder maneuverability, unnecessary movements of materials and people, excess stock and inventory, and useless tools.

Thanks to Seiri, we achieve clearer and more comfortable spaces, greater organization, efficiency, and workplace safety.

2.- Seiton

Once we have eliminated what is not useful, it’s time to organize what does contribute to the manufacturing process. This way, we will save time when searching for what we need at any given moment.

Through Seiton, we will determine the best arrangement of tools by studying variables such as their frequency of use, the areas where they are used, and their ease of handling. Of course, everything must be properly documented for quick reference.

3.- Seiso

In this stage of the 5S, the goal is to stay one step ahead when it comes to failures and defects, so that we can anticipate them and take predictive maintenance measures accordingly.

To make this step effective, cleaning becomes the basic tool, so that thanks to it, the machinery will be better preserved and potential deficiencies can be more easily identified.

With all of this, we will be able to reduce breakdowns and increase productivity, as well as safety.

4.- Seiketsu

Once all the measures described in the previous sections have been established, it is essential to standardize and document them through means such as technical guidelines.

However, these guidelines must be written in the simplest and most schematic way possible so that those who consult them can find what they are looking for and interpret it without difficulty or delay.

5.- Shitsuke

Finally, it will be necessary to establish habits and disciplinary measures to automate everything described above.

Finally, we must periodically audit all these steps, with continuous measurement of the most relevant indicators—an evaluation that will enable the identification of actions aimed at continuous improvement.

Poka-Yoke and Error Minimization

Errors are the main burden of any industrial process. Therefore, their elimination—and even better, prevention that prevents these failures from occurring—will significantly improve efficiency and productivity.

This is where Poka-Yoke plays a crucial role. This method, part of Lean Manufacturing, focuses on detecting, preventing, and eliminating defects in production tasks.

Poka-Yoke places special emphasis on processes that are more prone to errors, such as repetitive and tedious tasks on a production line.

To implement Poka-Yoke, it is common to use simple shapes and colors that help the operator interpret all the tasks to be performed. This way, it becomes very clear when a mistake has been made. For example, a USB device can only be connected in one specific orientation, or some software systems do not allow progress if certain forms are left blank.

Currently, the most popular Poka-Yoke devices are those consisting of detection and alarm systems, usually visual and/or auditory, that alert the worker immediately when an error has been made, with sensors playing a key role in this.

Solutions to apply 5S and Poka Yoke in industry

Polaris provides all the necessary functionalities to implement and monitor all aspects related to 5S and Poka Yoke in an industrial plant.

Through its Housekeeping module, we can optimize the auditing processes aimed at evaluating all the characteristics of these Lean methodologies. It is highly useful for both the audited party and the auditor.

From the auditor’s perspective, corrective measures can be drafted in an agile and intuitive manner thanks to the availability of real-time information.

From the audited party’s perspective, they will receive notifications immediately after the corrective measures have been established, allowing them to work on them right away.

In addition, thanks to the available Kanban visual tool, the overall situation can be viewed in a simple and intuitive way.

To conclude, we hope that, in addition to learning a bit of Japanese (because you never know), you have enjoyed gaining simple yet very practical insights that can take an industrial plant to the next level in terms of quality and efficiency. Thank you for being there!

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