So you’re thinking of implementing a 5S Lean process strategy in your healthcare facility. Smart move, because hospitals today face the dilemma of providing continued levels of service quality and patient safety & security at lesser costs.
The five steps of 5S Lean -– Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain -– are a proven effective method to help facilities organize workspaces to become inherently more presentable, productive, and safe. Each one provides essential activities that eliminate issues such as compliance and cleanliness, inventory control, and productivity. And learning these five steps is the first step in “going lean.”
Sort
Sorting separates all that is necessary from the unnecessary. The quarantined collection of all unnecessary items is then discarded or placed in a designated area with other infrequently used items.
Set in Order
Setting all things in order prevents difficulties in searching and opens up spaces for more storage.
Shine
Shining is, in other words, a thorough cleaning process. It involves locating and eliminating sources of uncleanliness or contamination, in addition to the sanitation of all spaces. This is vital for healthcare facilities in the fight to prevent in-hospital infections from occurring.
Standardize
Standardizing the system utilizes placement of visual queues and other strategies to make the process of sorting, setting in order, and shining uniform throughout a facility.
Sustain
Sustaining the system is the last step and arguably most difficult in accomplishing. When achieved, sustaining the 5S system becomes habitual and creates a restless sense when things are out of order.
As you begin to put together your 5S Lean plan, remember, 5S is not a project. It is a mind set that should be carried out with designed purpose and in a manner that includes every able individual. It is small changes, not just big ones, that will help your facility, clinic, or clinical lab become a more functional, clean, and satisfying place for both personnel and patients.