On September 8, 2017, Information Services hosted its annual 5S Day, a day focused on the LEAN methodology of improving efficiency and effectiveness by organizing and maintaining a clean, high-performance office environment. The five S’s stand for Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.
The day started with a short lesson on the 5S Methodology by the Process and Evaluation team with additional information on the retention of records presented by Chris Muller, Manager of Enterprise Application Support. The main focus of the presentation was around the continual practice of staying clean and organized throughout the year instead of saving the tasks for one specified day. While the intention of 5S is to maintain a high level of cleanliness and organization, this day offered everyone a chance to focus on getting themselves in a good position moving forward.
To help make the day successful:
- Examples were given to demonstrate what success with each “S” looks like.
- Managers were asked to clear meeting schedules to allow participation from everyone in the division.
- Conference rooms were set aside to stage gently-used unwanted items to be repurposed by other staff. At the end of the day those items were logged and stored, or disposed.
- Cleaning supplies were provided.
- Custodial staff made extra rounds for the trash and recycle.
- Fun awards were given to staff who demonstrated exceptional results.
The efficiency and effectiveness of any department can be improved by 5S. If you would like more information on the 5S methodology or are interested in Process Evaluation and Improvement hosting a 5S event for your department, please contact the team at peiadmin@kent.edu.