5s methodology implementation in the laboratories of university

Abstract

This paper represents an overview of 5S practices and its implementation in university laboratories to improve the quality of the laboratories. It also, highlights the contributions of 5S initiatives towards improving the maintenance of laboratory resources. It shows how learning, improvement, control and maintenance of the resources and activities are performed by reducing non-value added time, reduced cost and most importantly, laying the foundation for continuous improvement. Apart from these, implementation of 5S also increase the efficiency in terms of productivity by reducing the capital input. Furthermore, the involvement of faculty and laboratory staff in daily improvements is also critical for the success of implementation of 5S. It thus contributes to lean leadership which is a way of sustaining and continuously improving performance in the laboratory of the university. This paper shows how 5S is beneficial and why it is the foundation stone for any laboratory that wants to sustainably grow and become a benchmark.