TEXTILE INDUSTRY APPLICATION OF THE 5S METHOD.

The paper presents the 5S method, developed to ensure ergonomics in the workplace, productivity growth, reducing defects and increasing cleaning. 5S is a fundamental tool to promote continuous improvement process in organizations and represents a transformation in 5 steps of a job, which is characterized by maximum efficiency at the micro level and minimum loss. The tools which can be used for implementing could be the Kaizen circles for training, analysis and implementation, as well as visual elements, posters or graphics. The 5 phases are Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu and Shitsuke, which can be translate as Sort, Set in order, Scrub, Standardize, and Sustain, focusing on orderliness and being applied especially in Japanese factories. The stages includes inputs objectives related to the efficiency and effectiveness of the process, but also subjective, which refers to moral values, education, training, culture. For each S stage, the most important elements which are underlying the implementation and maintain the compliance are described. Any company that applied the 5S program will have quick and visible results, reducing different types of waste. The final section presents a case study and some rules in order to sustain the designed standards and implement a continuous quality improvement. The concluding remarks could be considered as work instructions in order to implement the 5S rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]