Impediments

Every new method or process has challenges and difficulties attached to it. Stabilizing and implementing new requires hard work and variable amount of resources. Even if a new method manages to push through, the old habits do not vanish and are even bigger and tougher to remove. Proper usage and implementation of 5S can not be done until and unless the basic idea of 5S is understood. Targets need to be understandable to everyone so that everyone is involved and not delegated to selected few. Employees should also be properly counseled so that they do not consider it a waste of time.

Attitudes are a major hindrance in implementing such projects. Negative atmosphere assists creating mistrust and anxiety and those factors are unwanted. Employee skills and creativity are the most important resources what a work group can get for implementing 5S.

This kind of big and demanding operation model needs time from senior management as things do not change overnight. Long-term results as well as forgetting old habits are achieved with patience and hard work.