Investigation into 6S auditing system and introduction of Toyota s A3 report for improving 6S performance

Abstract

Over the last four decades a number of quality improvement tools were evaluated such as Total Quality Management Just In Time Total Productivity Maintenance ISO 9001 14001 newlineKaizen and Lean But none of them sustained when implemented together to obtain the desired benefits probably due to the non availability of a common platform To overcome this situation Japanese 6 S principles have been established as foundation of all the improvement activities 6 S principles Sort Simplify Shine Standardization Sustain newlineand Safety are considered as the first step in Operations Management in a Total Quality Management programme because work place safety is one of the major issues of concern for Operations managers in a shop floor But the success of 6 S implementation is dependent on effective commutation across the organization which helps in improving the performance and employee participation 6 S Auditing score is often a subjective topic because the score varies depending upon the auditor and expectations of the auditor and non availability of proper check points for safety newline