HSNDS conducts 5S training sessions for factory employees
In tandem with our commitment to reduce waste across all production processes, our Lahore-based manufacturing facility H. Sheikh Noor-ud-Din & Sons (HSNDS) embarked on five days of lean production training from 19 to 23 September.
Lean production is a method for the elimination of waste (‘Muda’) within a manufacturing system, based upon the principle of continuous improvement (‘Kaizen’) in small, incremental steps. 5S is a tool for achieving this aim.
The 5S Champions Programme
Hosted by Spring Vision Group, a local consultancy based in Lahore, the HSNDS ‘5S Champions Programme’ introduced staff members to a systematic, five-step roadmap to achieving minimal waste in the workplace:
Sort (Seiri) – Removing all unnecessary items from the workplace. This frees up space, improves workflow and saves money. HSNDS will commence this stage by placing red tags on all identified wastage, with a removal deadline written on each.
Set in Order (Seiton) – Arranging and storing all necessary items in the most efficient manner. This reduces search time and thus increases efficiency. HSNDS will complete this stage through such activities as colour coding items and placing clear notices in work spaces.
Shine (Seiso) – Cleaning the workplace in order to prolong the useful life of equipment and enhance the quality of our working environment.
Standardise (Seiketsu) – Repeating the first three steps so that the workplace remains an organised, clean and waste-free space. In this way we preserve all previous gains and ensure that previous problems do not resurface. A solid audit program is essential for ensuring the success of this step.
Sustain (Shitsuke) – Integrating the four previous steps and continuous improvement into company culture so that they become an automatic process.
The 5S implementation
The implementation of 5S has now begun across all our manufacturing units with the division of factory space into zones. Each zone will be responsible for all of the above steps, beginning with the sorting of waste and institution of a red tag scheme. Relevant staff will also be trained on waste identification and removal.
Successful implementation of 5S across HSNDS business functions will not only ensure greater efficiency and motivation among staff; crucially, it will result in greater customer satisfaction through the elimination of materials and activities which do not add value. In other words, 5S will help to keep HSNDS and NRS International subsidiaries as world leaders in their respective sectors for generations to come.