Prioritizing? Try the “Five Ss” of Productivity

The “Five Ss” of Productivity

Today I’m using the “Five Ss of the Workplace” to increase productivity. The ’5Ss’ are the Japanese words:

• Seiri = organization : separate out all the things that are not necessary and eliminate them or tidy them away
• Seiton = neatness : arrange the essential things in order so that they can be quickly and easily accessed and put away
• Seiso = cleaning : keep machines and working environment clean (everyone’s job–no cleaners needed)
• Seiketsu = standardization : make cleaning and checking a routine practice; maintain a pleasant environment
• Shitsuke = discipline : standardize the previous four steps and constantly improve them; creating good habits

In a tidy and organized workplace, errors are minimized, work is speeded up and small problems are made visible.

These have been translated into five Ss in the English language:

• Seiri –> sort
• Seiton –> straighten
• Seiso –> scrub, sanitize
• Seiketsu –> systematize
• Shitsuke –> standardize, self-discipline