Il forum sulla Qualità di QualitiAmo

[QualitiAmo - Stefania]

Su ISC newsroom potete leggere un articolo dal titolo: "5S Efficiencies: Making Common Sense Commonplace".

Questa è la versione tradotta in italiano con il traduttore automatico di Google.

Common sense should be commonplace in any responsible business. Common sense calls for every work environment to be well thought out and organized. Everything is in its place. Nothing is amiss.

Sounds like where you work? If not, then there’s a Japanese methodology, known as 5S, designed to bring order and efficiency – step by step – to your office or job site.

The Imperial Sugar Company (ISC) continues to roll out its 5S program to put everything in its proper place at the recently reopened Savannah Sugar Refinery at Port Wentworth, Georgia.

The work is all part of the company’s ongoing efforts to ensure improved operations and efficiencies throughout the refinery, finishing up a more than $200-million rebuilding project.

The 5S program also is being implemented at ISC’s Sugar Land headquarters. It will be rolled out to its Gramercy, Louisiana, sugar refinery as well.

5S stands for five specific steps, each beginning with the letter “S”: sorting, straightening, sweeping, standardizing and sustaining. Used together as a system, they give a business structure to common sense.

“I think it’s a pretty ingenious program,” says Sarah Sturgill, bench chemist in quality control who was instrumental in launching the first phase of the Savannah Sugar Refinery’s 5S program. “It’s extremely simple. All those little details do make a big impact.”

When Aamir Mausoof assumed the role of operations manager for the refinery in October 2007, he introduced the 5S program – something he had experience with before coming to Imperial Sugar.

Tennessee Hammond, specialties supervisor, was the first to start using 5S in the co-crystallized station, which produces free-flowing flavored sugar for industrial customers.

Once the rebuild began, 5S took on more prominence. Hannah Baderschneider, quality assurance manager, joined the effort, taking responsibility for 5S training throughout the refinery.

“It takes more than just a project team. It takes the whole plant. Everybody has to be committed or it doesn’t work,” says Baderschneider.

Originally developed for production areas, the 5S program now is being applied to other areas of Imperial Sugar’s operations. Its many benefits are that it helps control costs, reduces waste, shortens delivery schedules, improves quality and safety, boosts morale and enhances customer satisfaction, according to Mark Schulman, senior director of continuous improvement, who helped establish the 5S methodology.

The refinery and warehouse areas at Port Wentworth already started the program – with molasses, co-crystallized and liquid shipping stations fully up to speed. Planning for the bulk station has begun – with implementation to take place soon. The packing house and white sugar warehouse will begin implementing 5S once they become operational.

Sturgill says Port Wentworth’s 5S program started with cosmetic fixes in places like control rooms, putting in new floors and repairing ceiling tiles. Section by section, 5S teams worked their way throughout the multi-acre refinery, creating such things as master sanitation schedules – a big part of the Step 5 “sustain” process.

The beauty of the 5S program is that it engages employees throughout the refinery in the process. For example, take the affination area, where raw sugar crystals are washed and melted into liquid. Sturgill and quality team members asked employees working there to help identify necessary improvements – as well as how they should be done, maintained, documented and then kept up.

On average, it takes three years to get a 5S program completely in place and running consistently. Along the way, the pay-offs for having a well-organized operation become as obvious as they are advantageous.

Observes Sturgill: “When you can find the tools you need, or you see something missing because the label’s there, but the item’s not … or, if you have to borrow something from another room, you know right where to put it back, there’s less frustration.”

Besides keeping things tidy and tight, the 5S program lends itself to being applied almost anywhere – from office work to manufacturing to refining. “It’s extremely versatile,” says Sturgill.

~ The Five S’s of 5S ~

5S_2Devised by Japanese industry, 5S is – as you would surmise – a five-step approach to achieve workplace efficiency, safety and morale. Each step begins with the letter “S”: sorting, straightening, sweeping, standardizing and sustaining.

Sorting: This first step is key to workplace organization. Sorting means taking an inventory of all tools and materials in the refinery and work area. Those that are essential are kept nearby, while others are stored at a distance or discarded.

Straightening: Also known as setting things in order, this step maximizes efficiency and functionality by arranging tools, equipment and parts in ways that promote work flow. Follows the old adage: There’s a place for everything and everything should be in its place.

Sweeping: Keeping the workplace clean and neat on a daily basis is this step’s goal. It includes putting things in their places, eliminating clutter, cleaning and inspecting equipment, and creating an overall clean environment. The results are improved morale for employees and a positive impact on customers.

Standardizing: Standardization of work practices improves operational consistency across the entire organization. Employees can count on rules being the same from one area of the refinery to another. Everyone knows what he or she is responsible for regarding sorting, straightening and sweeping.

Sustaining: This step ensures that the new way of operating is maintained. Work place discipline prevents old ways of working from creeping back. Reviewing standards and new ways of doing things also is a focus, leading the way to better processes, tools or outputs.
_________________
Stefania - Staff di QualitiAmo

ISO 9001:2015 - SI AGGIUNGE ALLA COLLANA DEI LIBRI DI QUALITIAMO IL NUOVO TESTO CHE SVELA I SEGRETI DELLA FUTURA NORMA



IL PRIMO LIBRO NATO SULLE PAGINE DI QUALITIAMO



HAI DATO UN'OCCHIATA AL REGOLAMENTO DEL FORUM PRIMA DI SCRIVERE IL TUO MESSAGGIO?