It isn't sufficient merely to place the garbage can somewhere on the factory floor. First, you should identify its location using a particular color of floor tape (yellow is the most popular). Next, label the garbage can. Designating it as a "garbage can" is not enough, because there are numerous garbage cans in the factory. In the example, the garbage can in Figure 4.1 is from the G line and is marked accordingly.
A story from my experience illustrates why this level of detail is important. I was helping a company in Nebraska with a series of kaizen events. We began by implementing 5S on one assembly line. Three line operators participated on the kaizen team. Day 1 of the kaizen event was designated for sorting all unnecessary items on the line. It was a small line, so the team completed the sorting portion
of the project in a couple of hours. By the end of the day, the team was putting together the new line. One operator was eager to help and was working with me in a particular workstation. I allowed him to come up with ideas regarding placement of the items in the station. The workstation required a garbage can, because some of the parts arriving from suppliers were protected with foam that had to be removed and discarded. The team tried to find a way to reduce the amount of unpacking that was done on the line, but this particular part was painted and needed to be protected until installation. The operator decided that the garbage can should be located to the left of the workstation. He had participated in the 5S training that I had conducted, so he knew I wanted him to be creative. The garbage can was placed on the floor at the end of the day, and he decided to finish his 5S plan the following day. When we returned to the workstation the following morning, the garbage can was missing. I was not surprised that it was gone. He found it comical, because there were hundreds of garbage cans in this factory and they were always disappearing. Laughing, he ran off to find his garbage can.
Upon his return, I asked him why he thought it had been missing. Fortunately, his answer was "poor identification." The operator placed the garbage can back where it was supposed to go and then proceeded to place yellow floor tape around it. Because there was a lot of work to do on the line, we left to help other team members with their implementations.
I did not see much of him that day except in passing. I looked for his garbage can, and it was still in its place. On the third day we returned to the location and, lo and behold, the can was gone—just as I knew it would be. Essentially, I was allowing the operator to make some key mistakes, helping him grasp the concept of 5S through his own experience. The operator now seemed a bit disgruntled, but again he was eager to solve the issue. He returned the garbage can to its place, placing it in the middle of the floor tape. He then placed a label on the floor that read "garbage can."
I knew that was not enough, but I wanted him to learn a little more. By the end of the day, the can again had disappeared, this time getting only as far as the next workstation. Because the event was nearing completion, I felt compelled to intervene. I explained that because there were numerous garbage cans in the factory he might want to change the label on the floor to "G Line Garbage Can 1." This would ensure that the garbage can would stay in the G line and in workstation 1. The garbage cans in the other workstations on the G line would be labeled 2 and 3 to ensure that they remained in their own stations. He got it! I apologized for dragging him along, but I explained my reason for wanting him to learn from his own mistakes and experience kaizen in a way that would make him a true believer.
The same numbering approach can be used for brooms, dustpans, mops, or any other item that has multiple quantities for a given area. Make sure that the item is labeled with its name in addition to its location.
My example is just that—an example. It's a good idea to tap in to the talent of your employees, allowing them to devise the best, most creative manner of organization. Here are a few more examples.
Figure 4.2 shows a simple, effective way to identify a workbench. In this example, the workbench is designated as T1. ("T1" distinguishes this workbench from other workbenches. A designation of "workbench" is not sufficient because there may be more than one workbench. The best analogy is a house number and street name. Imagine trying to get mail without an address or if the house were simply called "house.") In Figure 4.2, floor tape has been placed around the workbench, and the workstation sign is posted above it for easy viewing. The same workstation identification is on the floor next to the floor tape. From most vantage points, this workstation is highly visible.