Japanese efficiency comes to Wiltshire

9:58am Thursday 24th April 2008

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JAPANESE housekeeping is being brought to south Wiltshire by government organisation, the South West Manufacturing Advisory Service.

MAS is running a series of workshops based on a proven Japanese philosophy adopted by companies such as Hewlett Packard and Boeing.

The workshops will help manufacturers cut down on waste, improve the levels of quality and safety, reduce production lead times and costs and ultimately increase company profit.

The workshop for the Salisbury area is being held at the Pembroke Arms, Wilton on Tuesday, April 30.

Arthur Richardson, director at the South West MAS, said: "5S is a method for keeping a shared workplace organised.

"It's a reference to a list of five Japanese words which, when translated into English, start with the letter S - Sort, Set, Shine, Standardise and Stick - and is sometimes referred to as a housekeeping methodology.

"Essentially, it focuses on workplace morale and efficiency."

The free half-day 5S workshops are being run across Wiltshire during April and May and are aimed at manufacturing team leaders, operations managers and managing directors.

Mr Richardson added: "With manufacturers constantly seeking ways to improve their bottom line, enhance production capability and build competitiveness, adopting the 5S system and other lean manufacturing tools and techniques can really help.

"The benefits come from deciding what should be kept, where it should be kept, and how it should be stored.

"This creates a clear understanding between employees of how work should be done as well as instilling a sense of ownership across a business."

To register for the 5S workshop visit www.swmas.co.uk or call 0845 608 3838.