Our Path For Continuous Improvement: 5S Program

Continuous improvement must be part of our organizational culture.

At Grupo Comeca, we know that creating a culture of continuous improvement is possible! It requires minor improvements, executed without interruption, to have transformative results, which bring significant benefits in productivity, quality, company performance, and, especially, the safety of all employees. The path we have chosen to make it a reality is the 5S Program.

The 5S Program is a tool of Japanese origin that enables setting standards for orderly, productive, and safe workspaces.

5S stands up for five steps with Japanese words beginning with the letter “S”: Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize), and Shitsuke (Sustain).

1st S – Seiri (Sort)

It identifies the essential materials for executing the process or work.

The rest will be considered unnecessary material and will therefore be separated or eliminated. From that moment, the organization will carry out a standard job inventory.

This allows the employee to have the tools he needs, and there will no longer be other elements that can hinder his work.

2nd S – Seiton (Set in order)

Secondly, essential materials are ordered, facilitating the tasks of finding, using, and replacing these supplies.

This eliminates non-productive times associated with the search for materials and unnecessary travel. Finally, the organization must mark the location of each material, component, or tool; for this, we use labels, molds, drawings, signs, etc.

3rd S– Seiso (Shine)

It is essential to locate and remove dirt from the workplace, as well as its correct maintenance.

Having an adequate standard of cleanliness and organization has a direct impact on staff motivation, as well as significantly reducing accidents and injuries.

4th S –Seiketsu (Standardize)

The standardization process tries to easily distinguish a "normal" situation from an "abnormal" one. The staff must discern when the previous three S's are applied correctly and when they are not.

All plant personnel must have adequate training to identify this type of situation. This way, the staff feels more valued, and their motivation increases.

5th S – Shitsuke (Sustain)

The 5S Program does not have a defined end. It is a cycle that is continuously repeated, and discipline must exist to maintain an orderly and clean workplace.

The successful implementation of 5S generates a much more pleasant workspace, reduced accidents, and increased productivity and satisfaction of the company's staff.

For this reason, the priority is to maintain this discipline in a rigorous and constant manner.

How is the 5S program implemented throughout the organization?

The first step was to take the online course to ensure that all employees know about the program and are trained to put it into practice. You can review the course by clicking here.

In addition, each company has a 5S Committee, a multidisciplinary team in charge of carrying out audits, ensuring safety conditions, and following up on corrective actions that arise from applying the same audits in the assigned areas.

Compliance with the 5S Program will be examined, ensuring minimum established parameters are met. This can correct non-compliance, providing a culture of continuous improvement.

In 2022, two activities related to the 5S Program took place:

• July 22 - "The Great Cleanup Day" at Metales Flix, Costa Rica.

• September 1 - "The Great Cleanup Day" at Prodenvases, Colombia.

Similar activities will be carried out in the other companies of the Group later.

Contact: Mario Barboza | mbarboza@grupocomeca.com