L2

Lesson #2 of 4:

How to Systematically Fix Your Organization's Problems & Wastes And Impress Your Boss at the Same Time...

In Lesson #1, you learned the 8 Wastes every multi-million company produces.

You also learned how to identify and fix them.

Now, it's time to present it to your boss.

But you can't just say...

"Boss, let's fix this so we can save 6-figures per month"

You need to have a concrete plan. A strategy. A game plan for fixing the problem.

Don't get me wrong.

Your boss will hear you out. But he will take you MORE SERIOUSLY if you actually took the time to map out a way to fix it.

Not only will he be impressed, you'll also show you have...

(1) Initiative
(2) Intelligence and
(3) Leadership

These are all UNFORGETTABLE qualities in an employee that will make you stand out and remembered. 

But again...

You MUST KNOW how to fix problems. Not just identify, whine, and complain about them.

Today, that's what you'll learn.

You'll learn how Lean Six Sigma Black Belts SWIFTLY and SYSTEMATICALLY solve problems and wastes in an organization.

Let me introduce to you...

The 5S Organization Technique

5S stands for Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain.

Here's a quick break down of each S:

1. Sort
You need to remove unnecessary items in your workplace. While doing so, you'll need to identify the necessary items and keep.

Sounds simple, right?

Well, because it is.

How do you apply this when solving problems?
Here's a simple way:

First, perform a "red" tag event. This is where you tag items you deem unnecessary in the workplace.

Second, you and your colleagues have a discussion which to discard, store, keep, etc.

Third, prevent the possibility of unwanted items from accumulating again. Tops of cabinets, support equipment, and machines tend to collect stuff.

Step 1: Tag processes you think are unnecessary
Step 2: Discuss with other stakeholders which to discard, store, keep, etc.
Step 3: Find a way to prevent it from happening again

Let's move on to...

2. Straighten

This is where you arrange and set items in a way that minimizes waste. You also do this so necessary items/process/people are easily accessible.

For example, items that aren't used as much can be place further away. Meanwhile, frequently used items can be place nearer to workers.

You can do this by putting everything they need at their floor --- like a comfort room, standard operating procedures, visual aids on machines, vending machine, etc.

You can do this in offices, warehouses, assembly lines, etc.

Another example is keeping talented personnel at their workstation at all times. People who need to communicate directly on a daily basis should also be co-located.

The beauty of this is you can easily locate resources, processes, or people easily.

And when there's something "off", you can immediately recognize it.

3. Shine
In this step, you focus on tidiness and cleanliness at the workplace.

You ensure the equipment and tools you use are tidy and readily available for other staff members.

This is where you find the root cause of contamination...

...and also ways find ways to prevent it.

If you're working in IT, this means you need to delete all irrelevant files and folders to clean the file system.

If you're working at a hospital, this means prepping fresh new sheets for the next shift.

Most times, this is not addressed in the workplace.

People take more time preparing for work because their computer is so slow or they have to look for their materials before they can finally start work.

Imagine if these prepping tasks take 30 minutes per day. Then you lose 30 x 5 = 150 minutes or 2.5 hours per week!

4. Standardize

This is where you create visual controls and guidelines to keep the workplace organized.

You need to create documents or checklists that everyone should adhere to.

You need to establish routines, create procedures, and regularly evaluate the status of the first three S's.

This is also where you follow-through with top management and the workforce. You explain why each standard so everyone is on the same page.

Now, this is where you need good leadership. You will get backlash because standardizing will make the workplace a bit strict.

So be professional when you criticize. And always praise good practices and good action takers.

5. Sustain
If you do all 4 S's right, there will be positive physical changes. Changes that your co-workers, boss, and top management will instantly recognize.

However...

You must keep the momentum going. Or else, everything you've worked for will be in vain.

That's why you must have countermeasures designed.

What if Sort doesn't work? What do you do? Who do you turn to?

What if no one is following a checklist? What do you do?

Or you made a mistake and eliminated the wrong process/step/process? How do you "undo" it?

Well, the answer is simple, yet difficult to implement.

You need to delegate. You need to assign talented people to lead when you're not there.

They have the responsibility and accountability of a specific area.

So when it does or doesn't work out, you'll have a detailed report of what happened.

If you masterfully implement all these...

​You Will Create a New Company Culture

A culture where employees have high morale because they are efficient and excellent at what they do.

There will be continuous improvement, better quality of product/service, and less waste overall.

That's what you can do by simply implementing the 5S Organization Technique....
Does this seem overwhelming?

Don't worry.

It's not.

Let me give you an example...

Let's say you want to lessen the defects that your organization produces...
Step 1: Sort - Try to find what's causing the defect. Tag the equipment/tools/steps/process you believe are causing the problem.

Step 2: Straighten - Eliminate the unnecessary equipment/tools/steps/process.

Step 3: Shine - Keep the assembly line and equipment clean. Contamination can also lead to defects

Step 4: Standardize - Create a new standard based on steps 1, 2, and 3

Step 5: Sustain - Make new practices, develop a new discipline, and continue the momentum.

Simple, right?

Of course, you have to be more specific than what I did. You need to give him an overview of what you can. But be prepared if he asks further.

So again, Lesson #1 is find a waste you can fix. Lesson #2 is use the 5S organization technique to systematically fix the waste.

Now, show this to your boss and see what he thinks.

Definitely, you’ll be able to prevent defects, incidents and accidents, work faster because everything has its own place, and easily spot abnormality.

But what if you have more serious problems? 

(X) Like a defect or a customer complaint that keeps on recurring?

(X) And your company has been losing money from mitigating it day in day out?

(X) You implemented actions to address it but then it keeps on recurring?

(X) Customers are unhappy and they have threatened to pull out?

(X) Meanwhile, your team, your organization is tired, stressed out and morale is so low.

If you're working for a small organization, applying the 5S Organization Technique will be a breeze. Most likely, your problems are contained and simpler. And when it happens the impact in terms of monetary value is not as severe compared to multi-million companies.

But what if you're working for a big, multi-million organization?

Will The 5S Organization Technique Still work?

Unfortunately, no. 

Why?

Well, imagine a company making millions of products...and then one of their machines made a defect?

The defect won't just be dozens. It will be in the hundreds or thousands.

You simply can't use the 5S Organization Technique to solve that.

You need something more robust...

You Need the DMAIC Methodology... 

That's what I'll teach you in Lesson #3. And this time? It won't be just text.

I've prepared a video lesson for you so I can give you a more detailed walk-through on EXACTLY what to do.

But for now, can you let me know what you think of the 5S Organization Technique?

Do you think you can do this?

Would love to hear your thoughts.



To Getting That Raise,
Frances Garcia