Abstract

The 5S methodology is a culture and a set of habits that drive individual productivity and team self-organization through a lean workplace. Although it originated in Japanese manufacturing contexts, 5S has helped organizations across industries achieve cleaner, safer, more efficient, and better-organized workplaces. But implementing 5S is not easy; in fact, many organizations fail in their initial attempts to instill this culture as employees slide back into old habits and ways of working.

This article summarizes a discussion with Luciana Paulise (culture coach, scrum master, and author of 5S Your Life: Stop Procrastination and Start Self-Organization) about how organizations can implement 5S in a sustainable way for a more agile workforce.