Key Takeaways:
• The 6S Lean methodology offers significant benefits, including enhanced safety, efficiency, and employee morale.
• Digital audits are essential to track progress, measure effectiveness, and identify areas for improvement.
• Inspection apps like GoAudits can streamline your 6S audit program through features like audit scheduling, standardized reporting, and tracking corrective actions.
The 6S methodology, also known as 5S + Safety, aims at creating an orderly and efficient workspace, prioritizing everyone’s safety at all times. One crucial aspect of adopting the 6S Lean management is conducting regular audits to assess process improvements and identify further optimization areas.
In this article, we will review the benefits of 6S in industry, and how digital 6S quality audits can help you effectively implement this methodology on the ground.
6S Meaning: What is 6S Lean in Manufacturing?
Lean 6S is a system for creating a clean, organized, and safe work environment. It is an extension of the 5S methodology – a set of five principles initially defined by Japanese manufacturers, that aims to improve workplace efficiency and productivity.
The concept of 6S takes 5S principles and adds a crucial sixth element: Safety, integrating safety considerations into every aspect of the manufacturing process.
It is important to note that 6S and 5S are outgrowths of the larger post-war Japanese philosophy of Kaizen, which focuses on continuous improvement by making small, incremental changes over time.
6s Lean Vs Six Sigma: How They Differ From Each Other
6S Lean and Six Sigma are two distinct methodologies that share the common goal of process improvement but differ in their approach.
Lean 6s focuses on optimizing the workplace through organization, waste reduction, and workflow efficiency to create a visually organized workspace that promotes productivity and minimizes errors, ultimately streamlining processes for improved efficiency.
On the other hand, Six Sigma is centered around reducing process variation and defects to enhance quality and customer satisfaction. It uses statistical tools and data analysis to identify the root causes of issues and implement solutions that drive results.
6S Process Steps: The Components of Lean 6S Methodology
1. Sort (Seiri)
You can create a more organized and efficient workplace environment by eliminating unnecessary items. This frees up valuable space and reduces clutter, allowing your team to focus on important tasks.
This crucial step is a game-changer for productivity because it empowers you to identify and prioritize the essential items required for optimal workflow.
2. Set in order (Seiton)
Once you have sorted out the items you need, the next step is to prioritize accessibility and efficiency. One way to achieve this is by strategically organizing your tools, equipment, and materials according to their logical use and frequency of need.
By investing time in this 6S in Lean step, you’ll not only speed up your workflow but also improve accessibility and reduce the time to complete tasks.
3. Shine (Seiso)
Maintaining a hygienic and inviting work environment should not be overlooked as it greatly benefits employees and improves the quality of work.
A clean and well-maintained workplace can effectively reduce the likelihood of workplace problems and hazardous situations, and even extend the life of the equipment.
4. Standardize (Seiketsu)
Standardization streamlines processes by identifying best practices and creating policies that support them. It could involve a set of guidelines, visual aids such as signs or posters, and regular site inspections to ensure compliance.
As an integral part of the methodology, this step in the 6S policy ensures that the recommended practices are followed over time, resulting in better performance and increased efficiency.
5. Sustain (Shitsuke)
The pursuit of sustainability necessitates an ongoing evaluation to ensure that positive changes persist and to facilitate continued improvements. This includes training and educating employees, monitoring progress with regular manufacturing audits, and enhancing the process continuously.
6. Safety
The 6S safety step was created to pinpoint and eradicate any possible hazards that pose a threat to safety in the workplace. This can range from faulty machinery and hazardous materials to even practices that do not adhere to safety standards.
This step not only prevents on-the-job injuries but also fosters an atmosphere of security for all employees.
Learn More: How HTS digitized manufacturing safety audits.
What are the Benefits of the 6S Methodology?
The 6S methodology offers significant benefits to an organization. By promoting safety, identifying potential hazards, and maintaining cleanliness, employees are less likely to experience accidents and injuries.
According to the OSHA, implementing a safety program can reduce injury and illness rates by up to 40%. The 6S method offers other benefits that any organization can leverage to improve its productivity and quality of work. These include:
- greater safety at work
- optimized processes
- enhanced output quality
- improved job satisfaction
- more opportunities for employee development
By adopting the 6S Lean method, businesses can expect to experience a significant boost in operational efficiency and employee morale, all while delivering exceptional results. These benefits can lead to increased profitability, improved customer satisfaction, and a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
But at the end of the day, health and safety will always play an important role in a business. An effective 6S system can ensure that all employees follow proper safety protocols and the workplace is free of potential risks.
Achieve 6S Standards: Best Practices of 6S Audits
Although 6S Lean offers several benefits, businesses often hesitate to implement it on the factory floor. This is because its implementation requires significant changes in the existing system, mandating additional training for the team members.
Sustaining a 6S program can be challenging. You must conduct regular audits, work on 6S continuous improvement plans, and implement ongoing training and communication.
However, here are some tips that will help you overcome these challenges and guarantee an effective implementation of the 6S methodology through 6S audits:
- Document Each Level: Ask your team members to take time and document each phase during the 6S audits/inspections. This will help you identify bottlenecks and areas of excellence and optimize the manufacturing process.
- Develop Clear Instructions in the Form of Checklists: This will help you achieve the “Standardization” part of the 6S methodology. Checklists can include questions on 6S instructions, notes/directions on corrective measures, visual aids, etc. Also, checklists are one of the best ways to train your employees on 6S Lean principles.
- Implement KPIs: You want your team to remain focused and not lose direction while practicing 6S principles. KPIs ensure exactly that. They support continuous improvements by offering a visual 6S audit scorecard based on the performance of the organization, team, and individual members.
Scheduling, documenting, reporting, analyzing, and implementing corrective actions are part of optimizing the 6S process. However, managing everything on paper is time-consuming and prone to error and can lead to a trail of loose paperwork.
How Can 6S Audit Software Help?
Digital audits are the key to unlocking the potential of the 6S methodology. By harnessing the power of auditing software, you can track the progress of your 6S implementation in real-time.
This allows you to identify areas of improvement and measure the effectiveness of your plan. Whether it’s about implementing corrective actions or simply having an overview of your company’s processes, digital audits are a powerful tool for organizations looking to enhance their workplace excellence.
By using inspection software, you can ensure that your organization stays on track toward achieving and maintaining a clutter-free, organized, and efficient workplace. Digital audits offer many advantages, such as:
- Quick Adoption & Compliance: Standardize your procedures and ensure that everyone is aware of the standards, with frequent inspections and digital checklists in everyone’s pocket. Schedule mandatory self-audits and monitor compliance.
- Efficiency: Paperless, quicker audits and reports result in significant savings in terms of time and resources.
- Analysis: The power of digital audits is in their ability to provide live, accurate insights, and aggregated analytics. Pinpoint areas of improvement and get a reliable way to measure the true effectiveness of the 6S Lean methodology.
- Customization: Tailoring digital audits to your organization’s unique needs ensures that pertinent elements are addressed throughout the audit. Such customization assures that everything is noticed during the audit process and enables a more effective and accurate workplace analysis.
- Communication: Attach photos, annotations, and comments, and share reports instantly. Digital audits provide a seamless, paperless way to improve communication and collaboration between different teams and departments, resulting in an optimized performance.
How to Conduct Effective 6S Audits With the GoAudits Inspection App?
With the GoAudits auditing and inspection app, it’s easier than ever to keep track of 6S compliance and identify areas for improvement. Besides simplifying the auditing process, with GoAudits you can:
- Schedule audits at your preferred frequency and receive customized reports
- Delegate corrective actions to individuals in your team or outside your organization
- Identify areas for potential risks and excellence through analytics
- Address any issues and non-conformities promptly
- Streamline your 6S audit program and improve compliance
After trialing GoAudits in tandem with our selected audit system, we found rather quickly that GoAudits provided a far better system in terms of ease-of-use, template design options, layout, flow, functionality, actions, reporting, and excellent customer support.
Steve Blaydon, Business Process Manager, Miniclipper
With a rating of 4.7 stars on Capterra, GoAudits is trusted by some of the biggest names in the manufacturing industry.
» Customer Success Story: How businesses leverage GoAudits to save time and improve operations.
Free 5S and 6S Standards Audit Checklists
Here are free 6S lean manufacturing checklists that will help you implement 6S principles effectively:
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