Lean & 5S' in Construction #19 Feb 2007

Lean & 5S's in Construction

Newsletter #19 February 2007

Attack the Waste of Motion

MOTION: Employees moving around do not add value and is waste. These ‘treasure hunts’ happen when we store material away from the job or when workers must go looking for tools, material or information. Treasure hunts happen in the office, when we are looking for files, reports, reference books, current drawings, contracts or vendor catalogues. Poor planning and organization often cause this waste. It happens because we don’t have a designated place for everything. A good way to see this waste is to go to Gemba (where the work is being done) and watch.

These treasure hunts are easy to see, but hard to recognize! What I mean is that treasure hunts in construction are so common that we usually accept them as the way it is. We never question why! I was in a shop the other day and observed a man walk all the way from one end to the other, pick up a paper and walk back. A minute later he walked all the way again to pick up a pair of gloves. What waste, and he and the shop manager were oblivious to it. Watch workers in the field and you will see many treasure hunts going on all day. For each treasure hunt ask why – why do we have to go to this place or that location to get what is needed. Ask “why” five times to get at the root cause. Watching and asking why can lead to improvements by reducing motion. The 5S’s are a great tool for reducing waste.

5S’s - More than just being Organized!

Many people think that the 5S’s are all about being neat and clean. While being clean is always desirable and being organized is good, the real purpose of the 5S’s is to help the work flow and reduce waste. In the bigger picture, 5S’s thinking should change how one views the workplace. It is the foundation for all Lean improvements.

If we really wanted to be neat in a shop, we could put every tool and part away in cabinets or on storage shelves. Doing so would make a clean shop but would not improve the workflow. Employees would spend lots of time getting the needed tools or parts – that’s called waste. Instead, we want to place things in an orderly way but based on how often we use the parts/tools. If we use a tool often, we want it near the usage area not put away in a drawer. We would still have a place designated and marked for where it goes.

If we were trying to be neat and orderly we would organize the consumable parts (screws, bolts, etc.) in some logical sequence such as by part number, size or in alphabetical order. But applying Lean Thinking we would arrange these consumables by which ones we use most often or in the sequence that we use them for assembly. The 5S’s are always about eliminating wastes, such as motion and waiting, so we improve the cycle time of the work. The same idea would apply in service trucks – applying the 5S’s would have us arrange the tools and parts by frequency of usage.

While I do not speak Japanese I have come to understand that our English translations of the 5S words do not convey the full meaning they have to the Japanese workers.

1. The first ‘S’ translated as ‘Sort’ is often thought to be just getting rid of things but it is really about learning to distinguish between what is needed to do the work and what is not. One must gain a good understanding of the work requirements to do this and that will lead to better performance.

2. The second ‘S’ is translated at ‘Simplify’ or ‘Straighten’ and is thought to mean putting every thing in a neat place. It is really about putting everything in a most useful or functional place. It is also applying visual controls so we can see where it is or where it should be.

3. The third ‘S’ is translated as ‘Sweeping’ or ‘Scrubbing’ and is usually thought of as cleaning up. It means putting everything in its designated place. It is also repairing and inspecting everything to make sure it works as needed. It includes looking for the root cause of waste, dirt or damaged equipment.

4. The fourth ‘S’ is translated as ‘Standardize’ and is often thought to be defining standard operation procedures for doing the work. It should be understood as establishing ways to maintain the 5S’s changes already made. It is working with the employees to make the new 5S’s ways the ways of doing the work. One expert suggests using the 5Ms to help determine what changes should be made to accomplish the fourth ‘S’. (1) The 5Ms are from the Cause & Effect analysis and are Manpower, Machinery, Methods, Measurement ands Materials. For example, one would ask:
What changes do we need to make in how we hire, train, and reward people to keep the 5S requirements?
What should we change about how our work is done to make sure we follow the 5S agreements?
What should change in our specifications, quantities, locations, or how material is delivered to the work area?
What do we need to change about our tools and equipment in layout, usage set up and maintenance?
What measures do we need to ensure we are following the 5S’s and what measures do we not need?

5. The fifth ‘S’ is translated as ‘Self-discipline’ or ‘Systematize’ and is often seen as just doing periodic audits. It is more than audits, it is constantly looking for ways to maintain the gain made by the 5S’s efforts. It is making lifestyle changes so things do not revert back to what they were before. Audits can be a useful tool but are not sufficient to bring about a culture change.

The 5S’s are the foundation for all Lean efforts because they attack many of the causes of waste right at the source. They are much more than just being clean and neat.

(1) A Second Look at 5S by James Van Patten, Quality Progress, October 2006.

Go Slow to go Fast

Hal Macomber discusses a point made in an article by Mel Duvall What’s driving Toyota, called ‘go slow to go fast.’ Hal relates it to construction--

“One thing stood out is Toyota's go slow to go fast approach — nemawashi. It is practiced throughout the enterprise. The author gives a number of project examples of how Toyota executives take the time up front to establish clear roles, objectives, communication channels, and experiments. This up front consensus-building time allows Toyota and their partners to accomplish big goals together. Try to get your clients and bosses to take more time at the beginning of the project to clarify performer roles. Who wants to pay for that? Toyota does. And their returns are the evidence that the rest of us should take that time too.

While we can be fascinated with Toyota, we better get started on our own lean path. There's no better place to start than on projects. Each project offers the opportunity for experimentation. Set your goals with the project performers and constituents. Take the time to establish roles and communication channels. And keep your attention on what you are learning as your project unfolds. Then, share your learning broadly within your firm. Your future viability just might depend on it.”

I would add to Hal’s comments that go slow to go fast also applies to listening to the workers as one solves problems and works to win – win solutions. It takes time to hear everyone’s viewpoint about what works and does not. It takes time to explore alternative solutions and work to create a consensus solution. But going slow here can pay real dividends in arriving at long-term solutions that everyone supports. Rushing through a group meeting or railroading a solution will slow down the final success of a problem solving effort.

Source: Hal Macomber, 9/26/06 Blog, The article by Mr. Duvall was published in the September 2006 issue of Baseline Magazine.

Guidelines for Metrics

Measurements are critical to driving a company’s success, but as everyone knows not all metrics are useful. How does one apply Lean thinking to measurements? Jill Richards, Sales Continuous Specialist for A-dec, Inc., suggests these rules:

1. The item being measured has to be relevant to the operation.
2. The actual measurement should be simple to record
3. Responsibility for making the measurement should be with operators or those closest to the operation. Graphs don't have to be fancy; dry-erase markers on a white board are fine.
4. The items need to be timely (hourly, daily, weekly), and they need to be consistently recorded. (Metrics are counterproductive if they are not always recorded!)
5. The metric needs to be publicly posted for everyone to see. Larger is better.
6. Management needs to respond to trends in the metrics. They need to act as cheerleaders when they improve (which they will!), or lead the corrective action when they decline.

In summary, a good metric helps involve everyone in the operation, educates everyone to the state of the business, and helps drive corrective actions.”

Source: NW Lean Digest #1559

Learning Opportunities

You may be interested in attending one of these training seminars:
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• March 6, 2007 – Gaining Customer Loyalty by Design – Philadelphia, PA – Sponsor: Sheet Metal Contractors Association of Philadelphia and Vicinity, contact Darlene at 610-828-4055, Ext. 207 dvalentine@smca.org
• March 26, 2007 – Lean Works in Construction – Oakland, CA – Sponsor: Bay Area SMACNA Chapter – contact Audrey Kerns at (510) 635-8212 akearns@bayareasmacna.org
• April 26, 2007 - Designing and Achieving World-Class Performance in Construction – Phoenix, AZ – Sponsor: PIPE & 469 JAC, contact Cathy at pipetrust@qwest.net
• May 31, 2007 – Lean Job Planning the Really Works – Phoenix, AZ – Sponsor: PIPE & 469 JAC, contact Cathy at pipetrust@qwest.net
• Jul 18-20, 2007 - Annual International Group for Lean Construction Meeting, East Lansing, Michigan, USA Refer to here for more information.

***************** A Quick Thought
If you can't do 5S, you can't do Lean.
Lean Enterprise Institute