Satisfied employees through Lean (7): Happy through decluttering

Part 7: Happy through decluttering

Do you enjoy pausing your work to look for something? When you go through cupboards and drawers and they discover everything but what they really need? But also the electronic search for documents and files can take time and nerves and prevents us from working in a concentrated and flow manner (see part 4 of the series). Dealing with things that we do not need not only robs us of time and energy, but can also put a strain on us psychologically.

Part of every lean implementation is the creation of cleanliness and order with the aim that every employee has what he needs for his work immediately and without having to search for it. Actually a matter of course – but everyone knows that a lot of time is spent looking for the right data and information, especially in the office area. The 5S method, which originally comes from production, is very helpful here. In the office area, cupboards and other storage locations, but also the electronic data, can be optimized with it. In 5 steps (therefore 5S!), all existing files are viewed, superfluous sorted out and a meaningful filing structure created. The last steps are then about making this filing structure the standard and ensuring that it is consistently maintained, maintained and further developed by all employees. That sounds relatively simple, but it is anything but trivial, especially in large companies with countless data sources (just think of the topic of master data). But by consistently adhering to the 5 steps and involving the employees concerned, it is actually possible to reduce search times considerably and thus not only increase efficiency, but also employee job satisfaction.

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