So here's the deal i was hired as a janitor at a manufacturing plant as part of thier 5s start up (somewhere they got the total wrong concept) any how i having worked in a 5s plant before they figured i'm the guy to head up 5s

so after some formal training its time to implement

the problem is the production supervisor and floor supervisors see no need for it (even though production is down about 50% from what it was 5 years ago) 2 of the key supervisors have been on the job for 20 plus years

they have attended an in plant 5s seminar

so the question is
how do i sell middle management 5s :confused:

on the funny side i have seen the first shift supervisor spend 1 hr 45 min. Looking for shipping containers

any and all advice is greatly welcomed

thanks da wiz :magic:

Based upon what you are saying it's not really "your" problem, it's theirs and whoever decided to put you into this predicament. :frust:

If the owner or whatever has decided that 5S is the way to go then the managing authority has to act upon his/her minnions defiance to authority.

You do what you are required to do and make the relevant information available to whoever it is that you report to for 5S as to the lack of action, concern or flat out don't-give-a-s4it attitude you are experiencing.

Of course it's easier for me to say than for you to do. Good luck.:cfingers:

[quote]
the problem is the production supervisor and floor supervisors see no need for it (even though production is down about 50% from what it was 5 years ago) 2 of the key supervisors have been on the job for 20 plus years


At that rate, a couple more years and it won't be needed...



so the question is
how do i sell middle management 5s :confused:



It saves time looking for things. It saves money, because we don't waste time. It makes a lot of customers have a better view of the company. It may make employees happier, because they can find stuff. These things may cause sales to go back up.

Also, if you can, begin with people that do like the idea. Have some success there before you tackle the difficult guys.

Lastly, as Randy said, you can report it to top management.


on the funny side i have seen the first shift supervisor spend 1 hr 45 min. Looking for shipping containers


As I said, it saves time and money...

I agree with what has been said so far, and have a few comments of my own.
the problem is the production supervisor and floor supervisors see no need for it (even though production is down about 50% from what it was 5 years ago) 2 of the key supervisors have been on the job for 20 plus years
You may as well consider them to be blind, then. 20 years is a long time, and many stop taking in what they see much sooner than that. So, they need an eye opener. What have you done thus far to make them "see the light"?

You can also expect them to feel threatened. You are after all invading their turf. I think you need to ask for their help... Ask them for ideas, get them involved: You have been here for many years, how would you...? You know the drill. If it's "their" ideas things may work out fine. Have a look in the thread Project Sweden - Teaching Lean - A Diary (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=13194&highlight=lean+sweden) where asutherland ran into similar problems trying to get a lean project going.

on the funny side i have seen the first shift supervisor spend 1 hr 45 min. Looking for shipping containers Further proof of blindness... :cool:

/Claes

I don't know what your organization's safety record is like, but 5S could be linked into that, as well. When everything is put back in its place - meaning no hoses to trip over, etc. - and messes cleaned up - meaning oil/grease puddles, etc. - safety and morale can be improved. You could try that tie-in for support as well.

I really like Claes' idea to get them involved...make them part of the team for implementing the system. We had people like that, as well, and they were "voluntold" to help out...they're really strong advocates of the program now. It didn't happen over night, though.

...they were "voluntold" to help out...
Volount...? LMAO :lmao: Good one Roxy :applause:

/Claes

Our building is super clean and organized because the owner wants it that way. If you want to see him go right through the roof, drop a cigarette butt on the floor.:eek:

Volount...? LMAO :lmao: Good one Roxy :applause:

/Claes

Thanks...I was recently voluntold to be a Captain of a Safety Hour team. My hour starts in 30 minutes. Got my uniform on and hair secured...in fact, I've dubbed myself "Heidi in a Hard Hat!" ;)

Ok, you want support? Go take pictures of all of the areas that are a mess, disaster, unorganized, etc, that you want addressed. Then get some comparison pictures of what a shop with 5S looks like. A picture is worth a thousand words, and its an easy sell to management.

Start with the most obvious area in the plant so that everyone sees what was done. Then police it daily/weekly to make sure it stays that way. Eventually you'll find people doing things without even thinking that they are manitaining an area to 5S.

Don't be afraid to create a drop zone right next to the area you 5S's, and put al of the crap that was removed in it. It makes people think why was all that stuff there in the first place, when it wasn't being used.

Word of advice, don't get carried away throwing stuff out right off. Let stuff sit for a while, then look at getting rid of it.

Also, don't be afarid to call it something other than 5S. People get scared of unfamilar terms. Call it continual improvement of something familar.

Good luck.

dtxwizard,

You are on a very tough road.

First, you need to avoid the catch-22 senerio.

Ex. so years back, I asked one of my managers to get rid of that pile of crap on the back wall. (counting what was in the warehouse, $330k worth of partial used material). Of course the manager said . . . OH NO NO NO, we cant do that, sometime we need that stuff. (even though it takes 30 min to find the right one). After I let a week go by I said " hey manager" if I get rid of the crap on the wall for you, and guarentee that I will deliver to you the piece you need before the line goes down, you would't mind, would you?
Of course the manager gave me a "you must be nuts look" and then said "go for it".
I then took over a period of 2 weeks, tearing down the crap on the wall, and combined with the many, many boxes of partials in the warehouse, remeasured, tagged, and sorted every product and stored them by type.
I also changed the order system to include the length required for each order going to the warehouse. Warehouse then checked first, all of the partials before bringing fresh spools to the line. (The line still tagged any partials which were taken back to the warehouse instead of thrown on the wall).
After about 30 days, the total partials inventory was reduced by $300k.

The catch - The manager did not learn that organization of materials would be more productive. The manager learned that if I wanted something done, I had to do it for them.

Recommendation - do then train. Do again then train. Then, explain what needs to be done and why, and have them do.