The 5S Numbers Game

I was recently asked about some fun ways to teach 5S by the management of a plant looking to teach this concept to their team. There are probably a number of ways to do this. The simplest exercise is the 5S Numbers Game. This is a no cost exercise that can be done in any setting for any level within your organization. In this exercise you will experience how a disorganized work place can negatively affect productivity and quality.

If your type the 5S number game into any search engine on the internet you will likely come up with a number of good hits. The folks at SuperTeams, a Lean Six Sigma training firm have put the 5S numbers game on their web site. They have included a simple facilitators guide to make it easy for anyone to start teach this exercise right away.

There are some other exercises I have seen that involve two kits, one kit not organized in 5S methodology and the other kit organized with 5S. The goal is to contrast the time it takes to do a set of tasks in the organized kit versus the disorganized kit. This could be done with Legos where you build an object (house, airplane, or car). The disorganized kit may have difficult instructions to follow, a disorganized layout, and extra parts to contrast a clear, well organized layout and instructions in the other kit. This can also be done with extra tools you find in your facility. Create a disorganized tool box and an organized tool box and then time the team or teams on how long it takes to get specific tools.

What are some of the fun ways you have taught 5S to others?