Successful 5S and Lean Training Session: Boosting Efficiency and Business Growth

Driving business growth with 5S and lean strategies: A transformative session for corporations in the Trichy region

Karthikeyan B*

Executive, Business Excellence, Kauvery Hospitals – Trichy Region

Introduction

In an era where efficiency and productivity are paramount, the 5S and Lean methodology stands out as a powerful tool for driving business growth. Recently, Business Excellence & HR Teams in coordination with CII Trichy Zone have conducted an overview of 5S and Lean session for 10+ corporate companies and organizations. This article outlines the structure, execution, and impact of this transformative training session.

Objectives of the Training Session

The primary objectives were to;

Promote 5S and Lean practices and make it as culture in various industries of Trichy region.
Demonstrate how 5S and Lean can drive business growth.
Share knowledge and adapt 5S methodologies, leading to overall societal improvement.

Understanding 5S

5S is a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. These translate to Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. The aim is to create a clean, organized, and efficient workspace, which in turn leads to improved productivity and quality.

Sort (Seiri): Remove unnecessary items from the workplace; when doubt move it to Red Tag.
Set in order (Seiton): Arrange necessary items for easy access (follow PEEP, 3C).
Shine (Seiso): Clean with inspection to maintain standards and reduce downtime of equipment.
Standardize (Seiketsu) Establish procedures to maintain organization (Kauvery Standardization manual).
Sustain (Shitsuke): Ensure continuous improvement and adherence to 5S standards (audit system, review standards, scoring pattern).

Understanding Lean

Lean was defined as a set of management practices to improve efficiency and effectiveness by eliminating wastes. The core principle of lean is to reduce waste and eliminate non-value adding (NVA) activities.

Remembering all types of waste can be difficult, but there is a simple mnemonic “TIMWOODS”. An acronym where each letter represents one of the wastes in Lean.

Waste type	Description	Example
Transport	Unnecessary/excess movement	Taking patient to the test each and every time
Inventory	Unnecessary/excess inventory	medicines with excess stocks
Movement	Unnecessary/excess motion	moving patients and supplies
Waiting	Time being wasted for the next process	OP Waiting, Admission waiting, TAT process of Patient in to out
Overproduction	Excess production	nurses who work extra time and shifts
Over-processing	Unnecessary processing	Repeated Investigations
Defects	Waste caused by fixing errors	Misdiagnosis and admin errors
Skill	Underutilizing human reasoning	Making an intern just to observe the cases

Participants Details

In collaboration with CII Trichy Zone, our 5S and Lean training session attracted 54 representatives from 14 diverse companies across the Trichy region.

S. No	Company Name	S. No	Company Name
1	Omega healthcare	8	P&P Metalloys Pvt Ltd
2	ZF Rane	9	Jothi Malleable Pvt Ltd
3	V Dart	10	Sundaram Hospitals
4	Care group of institutions	11	Jayaram Karz
5	ITC	12	Velmurugan Industries
6	GVN Hospital	13	Vignesh Vidyalaya School
7	Acoustic India Pvt Ltd	14	Athma Hospitals

Training Plan and Execution

With our trainers’ expertise, the participants were able to get valuable insights with a concise 2-hours session. Despite challenge of condensing, Business Excellence Team is planning and execution ensured the success of the training session.

Mr. Anbuchezhian, our Facility Director, provided valuable insights into Kauvery’s history and the implementation of 5S under the dynamic leadership of Dr. S. Manivannan, our Managing Director. 5S and Lean strategies have streamlined processes at Kauvery Hospital, leading to awards in 5S, Quality Circles (QCs), and Kaizen. The integration of these practices empowers employees to identify and solve problems, ultimately enhancing patient delight and increasing value for our customers.

Mr. Dhanasekar (Group Head, Business Excellence) briefly explained the 5S history – he covered it’s origin in Japan and adaptation in Kauvery. He then summarized the basics of 5S, the benefit it brings to the process improvements. He further explained the elimination wastes (TIMWOODS) and its role in continual improvement and driving business growth.

Mr. Veeramanikandan (Senior Manager, HR, Trichy Region) practically conceptualized Indian cultures such as Bhogi, Navaratri, Virunthu Sappadu to 5S Basics–an eye opening that 5S exists in India for long time. He further explained how to pull employee engagements in various avenues such as Kaizen, OPLs, QCCs, Melas, Quiz; and how we took the 5S practices beyond boundaries (e.g. Staff Hostel, Employee Home, Employee Kids).

Ms. Ramya (CST Operations Trichy Region) demonstrated Real List digital checklists role in streamlining processes and enhancing monitoring in business operations, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and efficiency.

In summary, 5S and Lean training equips employees with the knowledge, skills, and mind-set needed to drive organizational improvements. It fosters a collaborative environment where everyone contributes to achieving operational excellence and sustainable growth.

Key Highlights and Outcomes

The session on 5S and lean principles is crucial for bringing a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence within businesses

The session focused on promoting to get benefits of 5S and Lean practices in the Trichy region. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive. Our trainers effectively demonstrated how It can drive business growth by integrating these principles into the cultures of various industries in and around Trichy. This led to an enthusiasm among participants for follow-up sessions and additional training on advanced lean methodologies.

The interaction between participants and trainers was engaging. Several participants clarified their queries regarding digital checklists, 5S, and Lean methodologies. Some requested assistance with process improvement. Most participants expressed gratitude for both organizing an informative session and the delicious dinner prepared by our in-house canteen.

Conclusion

The 5S and Lean training session was a successful one, showcasing the impact that effective workplace organization can have on business growth. For instance, the digitalization of employee appraisals demonstrates how streamlining processes can save time and resources. By focusing on the fundamentals of 5S amd Lean methodologies, companies achieve significant improvements in efficiency, productivity, and quality. The positive outcomes from this session highlight the value of investing in lean training programs and the potential for sustained business growth through continuous improvement.

Karthikeyan B
Executive, Business Excellence

Driving business growth with 5S and lean strategies: A transformative session for corporations in the Trichy region

Driving business growth with 5S and lean strategies: A transformative session for corporations in the Trichy region

Karthikeyan B*

Journals