Lean principles / 5S
5S: everything in its place, and you see at once when something is missing
5S is the first step of lean: sort, set in order, shine, standardise and sustain. You don't need consultants to get started: you need visible locations, a fixed place for every tool and standards anyone can read in two seconds. Here is what we use on our customers' shop floors.
Get rid of what you don't need
A place for everything
Cleaning is inspecting
Rules visible to everyone
Audits and habit
3D tour
See 5S in two twin cells
Same machines, same work: cell 1 has completed 5S, cell 2 is starting now. Red tags, tool shadow boards, LongLife floor marking, audits on the ORGATEX board, Green Frame racks and PUDU cleaning robots. Tap a label to see the solution up close.
Why 5S sells time, not tidiness
An operator searching for a tool, a container or a document is not producing. 5S eliminates searching: every item has a location, the location is marked and anything missing is visible from a distance.
The method is simple; the hard part is making it last. That is why companies that sustain it rely on physical aids: shadow boards, floor marking that withstands forklift traffic, colour-coded labels and shop floor boards. They are the same products you find on this page.
How to spot it on the shop floor
Signal 1
Cleaning tools leaning against the wall or inside a closed cabinet: nobody knows if something is missing.
Signal 2
Worn floor lines or paint redone every year: areas are no longer readable.
Signal 3
Standards and checklists in a binder in the office, not in front of the people doing the work.
01
Seiri – Separate what you need from what you don't
Only what is used stays on the bench and on the shelf; everything else gets a dedicated area or leaves the shop floor.
The problem
Mixed small parts, components from old models, duplicate tools: time is wasted and space that the flow needs is taken up.
The solution
Open, transparent containers to see what is inside, modular drawer units for small parts and standard KLTs with label holders for everything else.
Open-front storage bin
See the contents without moving them
Open front, stackable, 12 sizes in 5 colours to tell item families apart.
Small-parts drawer unit
Transparent drawers
See at a glance what is there and how much is left; 2 to 9 drawers, modules that can be placed side by side and stacked.
R-KLT container
VDA 4500 standard
Reinforced base, ergonomic handles and two label holders for the kanban card; 5 sizes.
Magnetic label holder Color
Colour-coded families and areas
10 mm coloured border, magnetic back: 5 colours and 6 sizes to code zones and shelves.
See also: Lean Logistic: containers, pallets and lids · Shelf identification
02
Seiton – A place for everything, everything in its place
Locations are marked on the floor, on the shelf and on the wall: newcomers find everything on the first try.
The problem
Trolleys and pallets left anywhere, blocked aisles, tools migrating from one workstation to another.
The solution
LongLife covers for floor locations, tapes to mark parking areas and aisles, shadow boards for tools.
LongLife Standard – Protective covers
Floor locations
Adhesive frame with transparent cover: label stays readable and protected from forklifts. 14 colours, 6 sizes.
LongLife Standard – Roll
Mark out areas and aisles
0.48 mm PVC tape for medium traffic, 14 colours; applied without a line marker.
Classification symbols
Walkways and zones
Printed inserts to combine with the covers: pedestrians, forklifts, waste collection, directions.
5S cleaning station
Shadow board
Every tool has its own outline; aluminium composite panel, magnetic mounting, wall-mounted or mobile.
See also: Floor label holders · Floor marking selection guide
03
Seiso – Clean to inspect
Daily cleaning reveals leaks, wear and anomalies before they stop the machine.
The problem
Cleaning tools shared between departments, cleaning done "when there is time", large surfaces nobody manages to cover.
The solution
5S stations with colour-coded tools for each area, and robots that sweep and scrub large surfaces outside shift hours.
5S cleaning station
A fixed place for every tool
Missing items are visible at once; S, M or L outlines, customisable layout.
Colour-coded HACCP tools
One colour per area
Shovel, broom, hand brush and dustpan, scraper in red, yellow, green and blue: no shared tools.
CC1 Pro
4-in-1 scrubber dryer with AI
Scrubs, sweeps, vacuums and dusts; the camera detects stains and checks the result.
MT1
Autonomous sweeper
For shop floors and warehouses with hard floors, up to 1,800 m²/h; detects waste with its cameras.
See also: 5S cleaning stations · Cleaning robots · Automated industrial cleaning
04
Seiketsu – Standards you can read from a distance
The same colours, symbols and signs throughout the plant: the rule is on the floor and on the machine, not in a document.
The problem
Every department uses different colours, floor signs wear out, instructions are on loose sheets.
The solution
Heavy-duty tapes for aisles, anti-slip floor signs, projected signs where paint does not last and magnetic frames for filling in standards at the machine.
LongLife Vector
Heavy-duty aisles
0.2 mm polyester, 50/75/100 mm, also in two-colour yellow/black and white/red.
Floor signs 600 mm
Prohibition, mandatory, hazard, direction
Anti-slip adhesive plates in 15 graphic variants for permanent signage.
OX-Spot
Projected floor marking
The sign is projected onto the floor by LED: it does not wear out and is changed by swapping the disc.
Magnetic Windows – Frame
Standards filled in at the machine
Open centre: the operator writes times, maintenance and quality data directly on the sheet.
See also: Floor signs · Aisles and walkways · Workplace safety
05
Shitsuke – Making 5S last
Visual audits, shop floor status at a glance and 5-minute meetings in front of the board.
The problem
After the first month enthusiasm fades: without a shop floor board and a visible audit, the mess comes back.
The solution
Magnetic boards with red/green symbols for area status, printable sheets for audit checklists and accessories that stay on the board.
Cardplan® – Whiteboard
Shop floor board
Metal, 250 or 500 mm wide; fits alongside Cardplan® boards and mounts on the mobile stand.
Double-sided magnetic symbols
Red/green status
Figure, smiley, arrow and circle: change the status by flipping them, no writing needed.
Printable A4 magnetic sheets
Audit checklists
Print the checklist, cut it out and stick it on the magnetic board.
Eraser and marker holder
Everything on the board
Magnetic box with 7 markers and an eraser: everything needed to update the board is always there.
See also: Information boards · Magnetic symbols and smileys · Information board selection guide
Tools to get started
Traffic, floor type, indoor and outdoor
Pockets, labels and frames for every surface
VSM, PDCA and KPI boards
Have an industrial project to develop?
Choose where to start. Or call us: +39 0434 572757.
Robot demo at your site
We bring the robot to your shop floor and you see it working on your own routes.
On-site visit
We come to see your shop floor, flows and spaces, and propose the right solution.