Tangible benefits of 5S implementation are -

Improved housekeeping cuts cost, improves speed of processes, improves management controls, it is the foundation of all improvement initiative like Quality management systems, lean manufacturing, kaizen, TQM, six sigma, etc. Customers are impressed by the working environment, thus find confidence in the organization’s capability to cater to their needs, leading to more and repetitive business. Employees moral is boosted, leading to willingness to change, improve and follow systems Employees find pride in associating themselves to highly organized companies, leading to less attrition. Decrease down time due to less time spent in searching tools, dies, material and handling devices and places

Introduction:
5S is a set of techniques providing a standard approach to housekeeping within Lean Manufacturing.
5S is a cyclical methodology: Sort, Straighten, Sweep, Standardize, and Sustain the cycle.

Why Implement 5S?
The company matures to a new level of organizational development.

The organization moves towards world class manufacturing.

The organization gears to the competitive environment of tomorrow where cost is the most important tool for competition.

There are numerous benefits of 5S implementation which all lead to better profits and sustained business.

A genuine implementation needs strong management commitment, readiness to provide resources and time to the implementation program.

The program is spanned over a period of maximum 6 months, actual time cannot be gauged until the organization is assessed thoroughly, and the scope defined.

Other benefits include:

• Clear knowledge of the stock status which leads to less instance of excess purchase thus saving various inventory costs.
  
• Clear knowledge of material status, leading to better decision making in production planning and control.
  
• Problems are clearing visible as everything carries a name and status tag, defective products, product for rework , excess stock are clearly visible, thus leading to prompt action for the concerned team.
  
• Any management authority in one round of the premises can immediately understand the status of the work without asking anyone.
  
• Various communication channels are strengthened as information flow is transparent and quick, leading to lesser mistakes due to miscommunication.
  
• Most of the information is displayed therefore information is available to all and not available to only few elites.

The approach to 5S implementation:
This results in continuous improvement. It is a never ending process that gradually improves everything it touches.

Sort - This focuses on identifying all unnecessary items from the workplace which are not needed for day to day operations. These items receive a red tag and are placed in a central location for everyone to see and decide what to do with. Many times these are useful items, but used so rarely that they need to be discarded, given away or moved to a storage area.
It is surprising how much space can be liberated from just this one process. Vast amounts of valuable floor space suddenly become available for more productive work.

Straighten - Once sorting has taken place, you create efficient storage methods so your items are easy to locate and use, as well as put away. This would include labeling drawers, tool racks, boxes, shelves, etc. You also will define areas such as storage, first-aid, shipping, etc.
As you can see, one S builds on the other steps; in fact, they are all integrated to form a whole way of keeping a workplace orderly and efficient.

Sweep - This is sometimes referred to as shine as well. Sweep means to clean, to thoroughly remove clutter and fix things. A daily follow-up cleaning is essential in order to sustain the new improvements.
Everyone likes working in a clean environment, plus it often happens that damaged wires, pipes, electrical outlets, etc. are discovered and repaired. This is also a safety feature of 5S.
It is also a good idea to establish targets before beginning your Sweep process. This helps keep everyone focused and accountable.

Standardize - Once the first three 5S's have been implemented, the next pillar is to standardize the best practices in the work area. Individuals need to be assigned responsibility for each of the first 3S aspects.
Then you can create procedure manuals, visual cues such as signs, schedule short blitzes to maintain the first 3S procedures. This is important to prevent the procedures from breaking down and getting dirty.

Sustain - This involves changing habits and is often the most difficult aspect of 5S implementation...Changing entrenched behaviors can be difficult, and the tendency is often to return to the status quo and the comfort zone of the "old way" of doing things.