Lean

Stop Shining… Clean to Inspect

By Ron Pereira Published on March 1st, 2009

The third S, in 5S, is commonly referred to as shine.

A more accurate translation of the original Japanese word – seisou – is probably scrub or sweep. But shine works as well.

Missing the Point

But here’s the thing. Most people completely miss what this 3rd S is all about. Many seem to think it’s all about sweeping up the dirt and perhaps even getting on our hands and knees to scrub the floor. And it is to some extent. But it’s so much more.

Clean to Inspect

The proper approach, when focusing on this 3rd S, is to not only thoroughly clean the area… it’s also to understand why it’s dirty in the first place.

In other words, we should clean to inspect. We should clean in such a way as to identify the source of the grime so we can eliminate it.

For example, if we’re cleaning oil off the floor we must find out why it got there. Simply cleaning it and not fixing the problem that created the spill or leak is pointless.

What do you think?

What do you think? Do you agree with my synopsis? Have you ever identified problem areas while scrubbing and cleaning?

Ron Pereira

Ron has more than 20 years of experience in various manufacturing, supply chain, and senior leadership roles. Ron has held the titles of process engineer, engineering manager, master black belt, and director of manufacturing & continuous improvement. In 2002 Ron was the first American to win the Nokia Global Six Sigma and Overall Quality award in Helsinki, Finland. Ron holds a bachelor's degree in automated manufacturing and an MBA in technology management.

Aaron Jeffries
March 1, 2009 - 11:21 pm
Reply

I was washing my wife’s car this weekend and noticed the tires were getting old. So I got her new tires. Had I not washed the car I may not have known her tires were bald whcih could have been a serious safety issue for her and my children who she drives to school every day.