Thompson CAT - Giving You More Since 1944

Thompson Machinery Implements 5S Program

4/21/2008

Thompson Machinery 5S Program is a process that improves the safety and efficiency of the work environment for employees. Our first 5S project started at our Columbus, MS Construction Shop on March 21, 2007 and was very successful. It was because of the success we enjoyed at Columbus by our hard working team that Thompson’s 5S program was born.

Memphis Region Service Manager, Steve Lawrence, immediately recognized how the 5S methodology could be utilized to help meet Caterpillars stringent Contamination Control guidelines. We quickly took the 5S program to our Memphis Construction Shop and Memphis Truck Shop.

As of April 2008, we have now completed 13 5S projects spanning from our service shops to our IT Department. We have even stepped outside of the box a bit and have a 5S project in process with a customer.

More than just a cleaning project method, recent 5S projects have proven to change our customer’s perception of our stores, improve our customer service, and provide our employees with a safer and more efficient work area.

What are the 5S’s you might ask?

Sort- Sort out what is needed and what is not needed.
When in doubt, throw it out!
Simplify- Keep everything that is needed in a simple and orderly fashion so that things can be accessed easily.
Sweep- Clean the work area, floors, walls, offices, and desks looking for sources of filth.
Standardize- Make standards so that any abnormality becomes obvious and stands out.
Self-Discipline- Sustain the improvements by ingraining the 5S’s into the culture and keep it ongoing to prevent backsliding.

The 5S projects have also paid big dividends towards our annual safety audit in November. Here is a direct quote from our Safety Director Greg Simpson. “During our recent annual Safety Audit, all of our third-party examiners praised the extraordinary improvements to the orderliness and physical appearance of our two facilities that have undergone 5S projects. In addition to the value that comes with improved housekeeping, our 5S projects have substantially contributed to our corporate goal of providing our employees with a safe work environment, free of both physical and environmental hazards ”.

The fifth “S” in the 5S program is Self-Discipline and is perhaps the most difficult of all. Sustaining the 5S's requires leadership, commitment, and allocation of the time and resources necessary to keep the effort vital. Sustaining the 5S effort takes a lot of work. It takes individual dedication and involvement by everyone to keep the effort going and to prevent the organization from just backsliding into old ways of doing things. Basically, it is about taking pride in the company and in one’s own work, work area, and appearance which is very important at Thompson Machinery. For more information on the 5S methodology visit, www.isixsigma.com

« Back to List