Office Efficiency
Office Efficiency
Managing information flow in a virtual workspace with 5S
- Publication:
- Quality Progress
- Date:
- February 2018
- Issue:
- Volume 51 Issue 2
- Pages:
- pp. 16-21
- Author(s):
- Davis, Scott Marchand
- Organization(s):
- Microline Surgical, Beverly, MA
Abstract
5S is a proven Lean tool in factory settings, such as automotive assembly lines, where 5S originated. The principles of 5S are as follows: sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain. These principles work well in a manufacturing setting, where workstations can easily be decluttered and standardized, but in a traditional office workplace, applying 5S can be tricky. Workspaces and workflows can be sorted and simplified, but standardizing in fields with creative workers and work tasks is not simple, nor ideal. Using software such as Trello or Remember the Milk can help standardize collaborative processes and allow workers to maintain their to-do lists efficiently.