Look around…look up…look under…really look at your company surroundings. Take some photos of the ‘messes’ lurking in corners, on top of shelves, underneath desks, in boxes and in storage areas.
Now think about the waste these ‘messes’ represent. Maybe time is wasted looking for things, or space is wasted storing ’stuff’ which adds no value, but occupies prime real estate, which costs the company money. Maybe energy is wasted stepping over, or getting around the mess, or mental energy is being expended in frustration just seeing the mess every day. Even worse is the complacency people feel when the ‘messes’ are ignored…making them a ‘normal’ part of the company’s atmosphere and culture. Now that’s a scary thought!
Last week, I spent time with a client identifying all the ‘messes’ in their Head Office location. As a Lean Practitioner, this process is called ‘5S’, which stands for Sort, Set in Order, Sweep & Shine, Standardize, Sustain. In my Lean consulting practice, I have added another S for ‘Sell’ which often applies to obsolete inventory being held in warehouse space. Even if the ‘Sale’ means giving products to Goodwill, or taking things to the dump, there is still a decision that must be made to let them go. Of course when the ’sale’ brings money into the company, that’s even better.
Sometimes, it’s hard for my clients to ‘let go’ of the ’stuff’ they have accumulated over the years. I ask them one simple question…’Would you pay to buy it again?’ Most often the answer is ‘no’ and that’s when they realize that something they have been keeping has no value even to them. Out it goes!
The energy begins to shift as corners are cleared, then cleaned. The process becomes a metaphor for the cleansing of the company culture. The air feels fresher, the staff begins to take notice…somebody cares…and they begin to care too.
The process for my client is not over. Next we need to Standardize and put practices in place to Sustain the process of continuous improvement, or Kaizen.
Stay tuned!
