A clean and organized warehouse is the foundation of efficient operations. As a warehouse worker, you want to work efficiently, so you don’t have to perform unnecessary tasks or search for tools because the warehouse is cluttered. From experience, we can say that many warehouses are not as clean as they should be. To optimize the warehouse, you can use the 5S method. 5S refers to the five Japanese words that summarize the method: seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke. We translate these terms as: separate, sort, clean, standardize, and sustain. The method focuses on improving organizational performance, with the warehouse as the starting point. By optimizing order and cleanliness in the warehouse, there will be less waste, and you will lay the foundation for better productivity and safety.
When should you consider implementing 5S?
A dirty and messy warehouse leads to a different mindset than a clean and organized working environment. Behavioral change within a company is extremely difficult to achieve. You need a lot of persuasion to change someone’s behavior. But when is it time to make a change? If there are signs that the warehouse is not operating efficiently, it’s time to think about change. What are these signs? Below are a few examples:
- You always have to search for tools
- The trash bins are overflowing more than once
- Before a customer visit, you quickly look for a rag to clean the warehouse
- You can’t drive the picking cart through the warehouse aisles because there are empty boxes on the floor
- You can’t book incoming goods at a certain location because you think there are still products in that location, but in reality, it’s just an empty box
In other words, you need to change the environment. Changing the environment makes it easier to achieve behavioral change.
How to apply 5S?
S1: Separate
The central question in this step is: what is useful, and what is unnecessary? In this step, you evaluate all materials and tools in the warehouse. This is the time to get rid of unnecessary materials. We’re talking about non-essential or broken tools and materials that are unsafe or never used. We set this condition: don’t keep materials because they might be used someday. Such materials only cause clutter in your warehouse. Which items are needed depends on the warehouse tasks. Always discuss this with the whole team.
S2: Sort
After deciding which materials can go, it’s time to organize. In this step, it’s about neatly storing the materials used in the warehouse. Assign materials a designated place and provide a label to make it clear that this spot is reserved for a specific tool. For example, storing shipping boxes neatly. Without a label, it’s almost impossible to recognize the box sizes.
But also, tools used to pack boxes or perform specific tasks, like a folding ruler, can be given a designated spot. This ensures that you don’t have to search for the right tools and, therefore, don’t waste valuable time. Plus, you avoid unnecessary frustration. Ensure that materials you use daily are within easy reach. Materials used less often can be stored further away.
S3: Clean
In S1 and S2, you’ve already disposed of excess material and organized the useful ones. Now it’s time for a thorough cleaning of the warehouse. It’s important to clean everything effectively, such as the floor, equipment, machines, filing systems, and storage places.
S4: Standardize
There you have it – a sparkling clean warehouse! But it’s crucial not to let your efforts from the first three steps go to waste. That’s why creating a cleaning schedule is very useful. In this schedule, you assign who is responsible for cleaning (part of) the warehouse and when. You also need to agree with all warehouse staff about putting tools back in the right place. We recommend finishing each workday by cleaning the packing table. This way, you can start the next day with a clean table and avoid wasting time looking for the right tools.
In this step, employees need to let go of their old habits and work within the new standards. It requires discipline, but with the right approach, you can change behavior!
S5: Sustain
Behavioral change has begun, but you must ensure that the new, more efficient way of working is maintained by the warehouse staff. Motivation is essential. For example, you can motivate employees by showing the monthly productivity increase. In this step, you also ensure that new tools are labeled properly. This last step is an ongoing process and will never be finished.
5S Requires Teamwork!
Applying the 5S method is a team activity because it involves every employee. If you want to introduce the method and change the working approach, you need to immediately communicate the benefits of the method. It’s also essential to explain why change is necessary. There are plenty of examples where companies start reorganizations with enthusiasm, but over time, people fall back into old habits. Motivate the whole team to get started with this method.
Take the Step to Fulfillment
Are you facing problems in the warehouse? But is continuously monitoring the processes too time-consuming? Then you can still choose to outsource your inventory management to a fulfillment center. A fulfillment center handles the entire logistics process. This allows you to tap into the knowledge and experience of specialists in inventory management and logistics. This way, you can rest easy knowing that the fulfillment center’s warehouse will always look pristine. Interested in outsourcing your logistics? Contact Webship at hallo@webship.be or check out our online cost calculator.
