How To Start a 5S Lean Program in Your Healthcare Organization

Updated June 08, 2015.

Waste and clutter. Experts working within medicine have long observed that these two villains cause human error and financial harm.

Like most dire problems, they are interwoven through a large network of issues and processes. As a result, they affect top priorities such as medical outcomes, patient care quality and safety, and the financial challenge of improving all of those quality indicators at a lower cost.

Healthcare leaders have been adopting techniques that have proven successful in the manufacturing industry on a large scale since the early 1990's. 5S Lean has helped manufacturers, and now healthcare organizations, streamline operations and management, and reduce waste and clutter.

For an introduction to 5S Lean and an explanation of what the five "S's" mean, read, "Lean Healthcare and the 5S Mindset".

See how Lean Healthcare can influence healthcare design by reading, "Efficiency, Ergonomics, and Aesthetics: Designing Lean into the Point-of-Care".

And for a better understanding of the return on investment one should expect from a 5S lean effort specifically in healthcare, read, "The ROI for a 5S Lean Healthcare Culture".

Planning Your 5S Effort

5S is more than a process or system. To really make it work, it has to be adopted by staff in all departments as a culture or mindset. It is on-going, and everyone must participate. Sounds like a lot of work, but when it works, it can dramatically affect all of those deeply interwoven issues that have a huge impact on a healthcare organization, such as:

• Reduced Waste (time, supplies, re-admissions, medical error corrections)
• Reduced Clutter
• Improved Patient Satisfaction Scores (cleaner, quieter facilities rate higher)
• Improved Medical Outcomes
• Improved Financial Outcomes (improved utilization of resources, greatly reduced waste of supplies)

To have this much impact on such a wide variety of parameters, healthcare leaders have some important planning to do before the 5S process can be launched.

Step 1: Establish a 5S Leadership Team

This should be no great mystery to healthcare organizations. Hospitals routinely put together leadership teams, sometimes called "sponsorship teams" or "project teams" when they undergo a major capital building project.

The 5S Leadership Team should contain influential leaders who are well-organized from the organization. This team should be the initial experts in 5S knowledge. That doesn't mean they have to be experts when they are chosen to serve on the team. At this stage, they need only see the value 5S can have in helping the organization achieve its stated goals. Once on the team, the members should grow to become the repository for 5S knowledge and expertise and keep the program moving forward.

Step 2: Plant the seeds for a positive mindset to grow

It's no secret that change does not come easy for people. Therefore, it is worth the up-front investment to make sure people understand the value this change will bring to them. Start by training managers and supervisors in the 5S process, and show them the results others in their positions are having. For example, take them on a "field trip" to tour a facility that has already adopted a 5S culture so they can see it in action. The 5S Leadership Team should ask for input on how best to roll out 5S processes to various departments. Collaborate on how best to win the rest of the staff over to become committed to making their facility a better place.

Important Note: Keep the instruction of the 5S process somewhat brief at this point. The goal first is to persuade them of the value of the 5S Lean method.

Step 3: Planning

At this stage, put a plan to paper. Now that the mindset has been established and people have bought into the concept of removing clutter and waste from their workplace, document how the plan should be executed. Spread these plans throughout the facility so that they are readily accessible to anyone needing them for guidance.

Other key actions during this phase that will help structure your plan:

• Establish a budget.
• Allocate space for 'sorting'.
• Schedule times for performing the 5S steps.

Step 4: Spread the Word

By this stage, leaders at many levels have learned enough about 5S to recognize the value of what is in it for them. Now is the time to give them formal training on 5S methods, and introduce 5S to the entire staff. Successful tactics at this stage include lunch & learn sessions, seminars, and field trips to sites where 5S has already been implemented successfully.

Step 5: Build Staff Participation and Acceptance

Make it easy for staff to collaborate on your 5S process. They will want to tailor this effort so that it fits their unique needs. Let them. Set up ways for staff to offer their ideas and suggestions. This is the real root of 5S Lean. The people who best understand the work are the ones who are actually doing the work every day. Give them the chance to inform leaders how to improve their workflow and storage challenges. If they know what the goals are that the leadership team wants to achieve, then the staff will be full of ideas to help achieve those goals.

Implement 5S

You're finally there. Empower department leaders and team leaders to begin their own 5S Process:

1. Sort
2. Set in Order
3. Shine
4. Standardize
5. Sustain

The 5S Leadership Team should continue to meet to monitor progress. Remember to share the results with the entire staff so that they can see how the changes they've made are helping the organization achieve its goals of better healthcare at a lower cost.