5S - 1. Sort

Sort, get rid of everything that doesn't belong in the working space. Including dirt. Red Tag everything that you feel doesn't belong. Put it in the Red Tag area until you have decided what to do with it. Keep a Red Tag log of anything that doesn't belong.

That is easy said in a couple of summarising sentences, now how is it done practically?

The best way to kick-off a 5S initiative is to collect the team in a meeting, challenge the present situation, get a consensus and an urgency from the team that we all could benefit from improving the present situation.
When we have that, it's time to go through the theory behind the 5S and start to give out some roles and responsibilities to the team members.

1. Look around the workplace along with colleagues to discover and identify items which are not needed and not necessary to complete work.
2. Develop criteria for disposal for not-needed items.
3. Take “before” photographs wherever it is required.
4. An effective method for recording progress is to tag the items not needed. This visual control of the not-needed items is often called red tagging.
5. While red tagging, ask these questions:
1. Is this item needed?
2. If it is needed, is it needed in this quantity?
3. If it is needed, how frequently is it used
4. If it is needed, should it be located here?
5. Who is ultimately responsible for the item? (Verify from that person.)
6. Are there any other not-needed items cluttering the workplace?
7. Are there tools or material left on the floor?
6. Find a holding area to put red tagged items.
7. If it is difficult to decide whether an item is necessary or not, put a different tag and segregate it in the holding area.
8. Classify the items by frequency of use.
9. Items or equipment used hour by hour or day by day should be kept within arms reach of the point of use.
10. Items or equipment used once a week or once a month should be kept within the work area.
11. Items or equipment used less frequently should be stored in a more distant location.
12. Unneeded or unnecessary items should be stored in the holding area.
13. Individual departments should each have a holding area.
14. A holding area should be clearly visible and clearly marked to assure visual control of items.
15. Display pictures of items and place it on a public board visible to all.
16. Responsibility for the holding area should be assigned to some at the beginning of sorting activity.
17. The items in holding area should be kept for three or four months. If the items are not needed for work, then the items can be disposed. It is always necessary to verify plans to dispose of items with anyone who had been using these items in the past or are presently using the same or similar type of items.
18. Items should be moved to a company-level holding area before final disposal of the items.
19. The facility manager or an authorized person has to evaluate the items.
20. Disposal should be done in either of the following ways. 
1. Move to other department/section where the items are required.
2. Sell to someone outside the company.
3. Discard and haul away.
21. Dispose all items which are broken or have no value.
22. Take “after” photographs wherever it is required. 

Do you think this action plan was helpful? Do you have any questions or comments? Please use the comments section below.