Impact of 5S on productivity, quality, organizational climate and IS at tecniaguas S.A.S

Abstract

This paper describes an approach to assessing the impact of 5S on four study factors: namely quality, productivity, industrial security (IS) and organizational climate (OC) in the manufacturing processes carried out at SMEs in Bogota (Colombia). The approach is illustrated by a case study conducted at a manufacturing SME. The main purpose is to evaluate whether the 5S methodology could be considered as an effective tool to improve manufacturing processes at SMEs. A visual diagnosis is chosen to identify the areas that exhibit the largest amount of clutter and dirt. Once the location is identified, surveys, performance measurements and a risk landscape are conducted, focusing on particular study factors so as to understand the initial situation of the area. Subsequently, implementation of 5S is carried out and then three measurements are taken to monitor the performance of the study factors, thus finding out whether a trend can be observed during the measuring period. The results show the existence of a positive connection between the study factors and the implementation of the 5S methodology, since there is evidence of an increase in productivity (44 %), quality (44 %) and OC (52 %) and a decrease in the risks identified (90 %).