Table Of Contents hide 1 What is 5S? 2 What Is Six Sigma? 3 Common Ground: Where 5S and Lean Six Sigma Intersect 3.1 Elimination of Waste 3.2 Cultural Transformation 3.3 Process Excellence 3.4 Team Engagement 3.5 Standardization and Measurement 4 When Should You Implement 5S vs. Six Sigma? 4.1 Six Sigma 4.2 5S 4.3 How Can Incito help? 5 Want to learn more? Schedule a consultation. When you’re looking to increase the efficiency of your operations, you’ll undoubtedly come across multiple strategies for improvement. Among those strategies, both 5S and Six Sigma stand out as clearly defined improvement processes, and at first glance, they appear to be quite similar. Because the two strategies share some underlying principles, many believe them to simply be different iterations of the same methodology. Six Sigma and 5S are indeed separate methods of improving efficiency. Here’s a look at what the two strategies entail, how they differ, and which one might better suit your goals. What is 5S? At its simplest, 5S is a system for organizing a workspace to be more efficient, effective, and safe. 5S planning began as part of the Toyota Production System, a manufacturing process initiated by leaders at the Toyota Motor Company. With 5S planning, every tool, machine, and person has its place, with a focus on allowing people to work efficiently and without injury. Workspace cleanliness is of utmost importance, both for safety and for optimizing productivity. Each of these steps contributes to waste reduction and workplace optimization. Unsurprisingly, 5S consists of five “S’s”. The five steps have been translated into English from the original Japanese: Seiri (Sort) – Organization: Sorting through items and materials and removing anything unnecessary Seiri aims to reduce lost time, minimize distraction from unnecessary materials, increase usable space, and increase safety. Seiton (Set in order, or straighten) – Orderliness: Putting all necessary items in the best place The goal of Seiton is to make a business’s workflow operate smoothly and efficiently. Seiso (Shine) – Cleanliness: Keeping the workspace, tools, and machinery clean and removing sources of contamination Seiso ensures the workplace is safe, clean, and easy to work in. Seiketsu (Standardize) – Standardized cleanup and housekeeping: A process for maintaining the first 3 “Ss” Seiketsu seeks to implement procedures and schedules that reinforce steps 1-3. Shitsuke (Sustain) – Discipline: Training, educating, and changing habits while adhering to the first 4 steps With Shitsuke, organizations tirelessly enforce the entire 5S methodology Those who complete 5S Lean Training are well equipped to implement efficiency-increasing measures in their own workplace. What Is Six Sigma? Six Sigma is a production method that aims to standardize the production process so that nearly everything produced falls within the manufacturer’s specification. The term Six Sigma comes from the world of statistics, where the sigma symbol signifies a standard deviation. For a manufacturer to be mathematically Six Sigma compliant, it must produce no more than 3.4 defective units per million attempts. As with 5S, much of Six Sigma’s emphasis on standardization comes from reducing waste. “Waste” in the Six Sigma world typically refers to anything in the manufacturing process that doesn’t deliver value to the customer. According to Fujio Cho of Toyota, waste is “anything other than the minimum amount of equipment, materials, parts, space, and workers’ time, which are absolutely essential to add value to the product. [1]” Most practitioners of Six Sigma recognize eight different types of waste: Defect Waste: Products declared unfit for use Over-Production Waste: Goods made in excess or produced before needed Waiting Waste: Delays in manufacturing steps, due to waiting on instructions or waiting on slow/broken machinery Non-Utilized Talent Waste: Wasting employees’ skill or potential, stemming from poor training, incentives, or role requirement match Transportation Waste: Unnecessary movement of materials, finished goods, employees, machinery, and tools, causing unnecessary wear on equipment and leading to defects Inventory Waste: Too much inventory or raw materials, tying up assets that could have remained liquid and leading to products becoming obsolete or spoiling before reaching customers Motion Waste: Unnecessary movement of employees, wasting time and increasing the likelihood of injury Extra-Processing Waste: Doing more work than required to complete a task, costing more time, energy, and equipment but failing to add value for the customer A trick for remembering the Six Sigma steps: Combined, the first letter of each waste type spells “downtime.” Common Ground: Where 5S and Lean Six Sigma Intersect While these methodologies may seem distinct, they share several fundamental principles that make them highly compatible and often complementary: Elimination of Waste Both methodologies prioritize removing waste, including redundant processes and activities. While Six Sigma identifies waste through systematic analysis and measurement, 5S attacks it through organization and standardization. This shared focus makes the two methodologies natural partners in any process improvement strategy. Cultural Transformation Neither methodology succeeds without creating lasting change in workplace culture. 5S builds this through its emphasis on sustaining improvements and developing disciplined habits, while Six Sigma cultivates it through data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement cycles. Process Excellence At their core, both systems aim to perfect processes. 5S creates the foundation through organized, standardized workspaces, while Six Sigma builds upon this with detailed process analysis and optimization. This shared focus on process improvement allows the two systems to work in harmony. Team Engagement Success in either methodology requires active participation at all levels. 5S empowers team members to take ownership of their workspace organization, while Six Sigma develops problem-solving skills across teams. Both approaches recognize that sustainable improvement requires buy-in from everyone involved. Standardization and Measurement While they approach it differently, both systems rely heavily on standardization and measurement. 5S standardizes workplace organization and procedures, while Six Sigma standardizes processes and uses statistical analysis to verify improvements. This commitment to measurable standards ensures sustainable results. When Should You Implement 5S vs. Six Sigma? Both 5S and Six Sigma excel at increasing operational efficiency and are vital components of lean manufacturing systems. In many situations, implementing both options in tandem can offer better performance improvement than using just one. But while they have similar goals, they’re applied differently. Whereas 5S focuses on increasing efficiency through organization and cleanliness, Six Sigma looks to enhance efficiency by establishing standardized processes, identifying problem areas, and more. Here’s a detailed comparison to help you make an informed decision: Six Sigma Ideal for organizations focused on achieving fewer defects and variability in production processes Best suited for companies with established processes that need optimization Provides tools for identifying and eliminating waste throughout the value stream Excellent for data-driven decision-making and problem-solving Requires significant investment in training and potentially external consultants More complex to implement but offers comprehensive quality control It may take longer to see initial results but provides detailed insights into process improvements 5S Helps organizations create and maintain organized, efficient workspaces Excellent starting point for companies new to process improvement Quick to implement with visible results in workplace organization Requires less initial investment than Six Sigma Easier to gain employee buy-in due to visible improvements More flexible and adaptable to different work environments Limited focus on statistical process control and defect reduction So how do you decide which to use? The answer depends on your ultimate goal. Are you already producing highly standardized goods with few defects but desire more organization, cleanliness, and discipline? If so, 5S is likely the right choice. Do you have a clean and organized workspace and good training but still produce too many defective units? Six Sigma practices can standardize your production. How Can Incito help? In a fast-moving economy, you can’t afford to have a disorganized office and bloated processes. Inefficiency prevents your business from reaching its full potential. When long-term goals go unmet and day-to-day activity slows down, your employees’ quality of life can suffer. With 5S consulting or a 5S training program, you’ll learn more about implementing control and consistency in the workplace. Lean Six Sigma Consulting can ensure your operations are running as efficiently as possible. Contact Incito today to learn how you can pave the way for accelerated business growth, greater efficiency, and a better bottom line. References: 1. Summers, Donna C. (2011). Lean Six Sigma: Process Improvement Tools and Techniques. One Lake St, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-512510-6. Want to learn more? Schedule a consultation. About how Incito can help transform your business and tackle your most important strategic challenges.
