Lean manufacturing has many schools of thought. It can follow from 5S, kaizen, gemba, Kanban, heijunka, and poka-yoke. These have since transitioned to all types of businesses and organisations. For example, properly implementing 5S leads to having clean, unobstructed, organised workspaces.

5S audits, traditionally done on paper, have embraced the digital age, which helps to capture those initial data sets more accurately. This is inclusive of highly detailed images and explanations that can lead to easier implementations of any improvements, streamlining the process.

There’s no need for any type of audit, even the 5S audit, to be something to loathe or fear. We’re going to take the time here to break down exactly what this audit is all about and how you can best prepare yourself for this audit when the time comes. Preparation for this audit is also a good spot check to help with seeing if everything else is running smoothly as well.

Many may associate audit with a negative connotation to prepare for. Still, when it comes to 5S, it’s actually quite a useful tool that birthed the concept of just-in-time (JIT) Manufacturing. It’s a lean operational methodology created in Japan by the Toyota Motor company. This helps to be extremely efficient and produce only exactly what is needed when it is needed. That right away can highlight many benefits.