5s occupies a prominent place as one of the basic tools to enhance the quality of the workplace. In fact, it forms the foundation for all improvement efforts. It is an acronym for five Japanese words and denotes a step-by-step approach for developing a clean and well-organized workplace. The term workplace could mean shop floor, office, manager’s desk, garage, store, or any other place. It is more than housekeeping. 5S is very popular in Japan and is becoming common in other countries too. A well-organized workplace provides a healthy and safe work environment and also improves productivity by reducing time for locating tools and materials, damage to the materials, etc A well-designed and implemented program of 55 would instill discipline and change the attitude of employees toward work. It is considered one of the foundation level techniques for continuous improvement.

5s activities are intended to qualitatively change the ways in which people think and behave, and, through these changes, to alter the quality of both equipment maintenance and the work environment. Before 5s activities are begun, everyone involved should clearly understand and codify in writing the goals and meaning of the 5S’s for each individual company and work environment. Furthermore, since 5s activities must be carried out with determination and concerted effort, it is helpful to devise slogans. Unless the specific rules are made highly pragmatic, it is hard to put them into practice. 5’S’represents five action items that ark did with some kinds of persuasion. However, these aspects should become a pan of the habit in individuals.

The 5 S was invented in Japan and it stands for the five Japanese words that start with the letter ‘S’: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. An equivalent set of five ‘S’ words in English has been adopted to preserve the 5 S acronym- sort, set(in place), shine, standardize and sustain- in the English usage.
1. Seiri (sort)
2. Seiton (straighten or streamline)
3. Seiso (shine)
4. Seiketsu (standardize)
5. Shitsuke (sustain)