With Stephen Ament, Parts Manufacturing Manager
Seiri – Seiton – Sieso – Seiketsu – Shitsuke
Sort – Set in Order – Shine – Standardize – Sustain
These concepts are the core of 5S, giving users a set of guidelines that help companies, and departments within them, find a path forward towards standardized organization.
Some of the ideas seem straightforward, but putting these processes in order can make significant changes seem reasonable, finding efficiency in optimizing simple daily actions. Cleaning up a workstation. Marking emergency exits. Reducing cross-traffic or storage area clutter.
Since I’ve come to Souderton, we’ve focused on process improvements using the methods of 5S. One significant way that these processes made a significant difference in Souderton was in our Shipping and Receiving department.
Test Case: 5S and the Shipping Department
When I got to Souderton, I was tasked with reorganizing the shipping department. With one dock, the cross-traffic from shipping and receiving packages, combined with storage within the department, created a mishmash. One area was trying to do too many things, and disorganization was bound to occur.
Our first step was to sort out what the end goal of our department would be. Starting with designated shipping stations and separate receiving stations would give us the capacity to exceed what we were doing at the time.
With guidance from end users and team leaders, we built a framework with multiple workstations in an open concept that optimizes for processing shipments, minimizing steps from start to finish. We were able to identify the order of processing incoming and outgoing shipments, and make sure each workstation had the tools and resources necessary to handle the bulk of their job.
We also looked at ways to make sure the workstations were consistent from one user to another, particularly when shifts change and second-shift workers relieved the first shift. Building standards on how workstations were to be left at the end of each shift made it so every user could get started on their tasks right away.
The buy-in we have from our shipping department staff has built confidence in our ability to sustain these standards. Clutter has given way to organization, and processing areas are clearly marked for handling multiple shipments both in- and out-bound. Shipping department staff have seen their productivity rise, while starting the day with a tidy workspace gives them confidence that they are properly equipped to handle anything that they might encounter throughout the workday.
These small changes made a significant contribution to the speed with which our location processes orders. The 5S approach has had a significant impact on reducing sales order cycle times from 45 days to 13 days. It allowed us to focus on fulfilling our backlog, reducing duplicate paperwork, and eliminating unnecessary waste. While the specifics are difficult to quantify, it’s plain to see how 5S made an impact.
Taking 5S to the Next Level
5S is a philosophy, a process that requires a cultural buy-in. When a new hire comes to Souderton, we teach them to commit to a 5S standard. We look at 5S as a methodology of looking for ways to excel at delivering organizational discipline.
Our safety committee recently used a 5S approach with great success. The impact of marking facility floors to highlight emergency exits, utility boxes, common traffic paths, and other places to be kept clear contributes to a culture of safety. In 2025, according to our TRIR report (Total Recordable Incident Rate), we have had zero recordable safety incidents to date. Zero.
5S is a group effort that takes commitment from our leaders, Max Stormo and Chris Enwright, to everyone in the fabrication shop, assembly, shipping and receiving, and every other person who contributes towards our goals. We’re seeing time and time again that with buy-in to the process, success follows.