The organization which achieves Applied5S Certification has to pass through a litmus test. The audits are not based on documental evidence, it is based on a sustainable system visible to everyone who visits the workplace.  It cannot be achieved without self-satisfaction.  It is a cultural transformation and foundation for Operational excellence.

More than external recognition, this achievement gives confidence to the internal team that we are ready for bigger achievements.

A well-implemented 5S means the organization has crossed half the way in its journey of excellence.

This Certification is applicable to all types of industries including Manufacturing,  Service, Education and Healthcare. Simply it can be applied to industries like Automotive, General Engineering,  Pharma, Construction, Food, Chemical, Information technology,  Hospitals, Retail stores, Restaurants,  Amusement parks, Oil & gas, supermarkets, Govt offices, Nonprofit organizations and many more. There is no Industry where Applied5S is not applicable.

Cultural Transformation requires a few important ingredients like self-discipline, organized work, mutual respect,  Lead by example, Servant leadership,  accountability, Commitment, punctuality etc.. Most of them are built-in features of the Applied5S standard developed by the Seven Steps Academy of Excellence.

Operational Excellence is all about an effective and efficient way of operating each process.  In Lean Management Language, it is called minimization of wastes and non-value added activities.  Applied5S helps in the minimization of wastes like unnecessary motion, searching, defects/Reworks, Inventory, waiting etc..  Its results are directly linked to safety, productivity, quality, cost, delivery, morale and environment.  Operational Excellence strategies like TQM, TPM, TOC, Lean, Six Sigma, and QMS require a strong foundation in the form of applied5S.

Yes. It is one of the main objectives of Applied5S. Some of the measures are Space recovery after elimination of unwanted items,  Reduction in time for changeover/ retrievals,  Reduction of Breakdowns,  Reduction in Inventory,  Overall reduction in Turn-around time (TAT), and Reduction of Safety/ environmental incidents, Improvement of employee Morale, Punctuality etc..

Organizations can implement Applied5S with the help of Standard. It can also take support from approved external agencies.

Though organization can see intangible benefits from day 1,  tangible benefits can be seen after 4 to 6 months once the basic steps are completed.

Yes. It is required to have a uniform system across the organization. However, the documents may be simple/pictorial/ local languages to serve the intended purpose.

Seven steps Academy of excellence (SSAOE) is the Authorised body for Certification. No other organizations are authorised for auditing and certification.

The Certificate is valid for 12 months. Thereafter organization need to go for re-certification after demonstrating sustenance and improvement in all the areas mentioned in the standard.

The biggest challenge in 5S is its sustenance.  Awards are valid only for a particular occasion.   Awards are based on assessments using checklists whereas Certification is based on the implementation of standards. This makes a big difference because Standards ensure sustenance. On several occasions, deterioration happened after receiving an award.  Further, re-certification ensures the organization has improved from its previous baseline.