5S Weaves a Tighter Knit Group in Fabric

The Fabric team underwent a 5S exercise toward the end of 2023, resulting in a measurable 15% improvement in productivity. Fabric is a welded wire 14-guage product that ranges from 8-foot tall all the way down to 3. The product is run on six mesh welding machines. Additionally, they produce 6-guage or 4-guage welded sheets from 8- to 16-foot lengths produced on two-panel welder machines. The product is ultimately used for temporary fencing or low-security fencing needs.

What did it take to improve by 15%?

According to Tilor Crotz, Finishing Department Manager, the key to success was how 5S brought everyone together to achieve a common goal. They all worked together to clean up their department and individual areas. This shared involvement increased understanding about coworkers and the individual roles they play.

Visual clues are an important part of 5S. Not only do they help keep areas clean and clutter free, but team members are also quickly able to see if something is missing, if there’s too much of an item, or not enough. As a result, replacements are happening at a faster pace. Items that didn’t belong are now gone and out of the way.

Toward the end, employees were asked what could be done better in their areas and what needs help. All comments were written down and together they started picking items from the list to work on. Moods in the workplace began to improve. Charles Barnett, Fabric Machine Operator, even said, “Man, it’s like Christmas came early!” He was delighted to see fixes for some of the things that had been causing him delays.

“I like 5S because it gets everyone on the same page,” Tilor said. “It not only cleans up the areas, but it also gives everyone a fresh start and clears the air. It allows us to see that the company is not just about productivity, but about employees working in a safe, clean and continuously improving environment.”

Congratulations on a successful 5S, team!