5S represents Japanese words that describe the steps of a workplace organization process: 

​

1. Seiri (Sort) - removing items that are no longer needed;

2. Seiton (Set) - organizing the items to optimize efficiency and flow;

3. Seiso (Shine) - cleaning the work area in order to more easily identify problems;

4. Seiketsu (Standardize) – scheduling regular cleaning and maintenance;

5. Shitsuke (Sustain) – making 5S a continuous process.

​

KPI, key performance indicators, are metrics that have been identified to measure the performance of a given process to determine its state. “What gets measured gets done”-Peter Drucker

​

PDCA is a four-step model for implementing change:

​

1. Plan – identify the opportunity/requirement for change and plan steps needed;

2. Do – carry out the plan;

3. Check – analyze the results of the actions taken;

4. Act – take action on the results obtained from ‘check’ and begin the cycle again.

​

ROI, return on investment, is a metric used to measure the gain/loss on an investment relative to the money invested. ROI=Net Profit/Cost of Investment*100

​

Seven Deadly Wastes commonly identified as:

​

1. Overproduction – producing an item before it’s needed;

2. Waiting – idle time for resources;  

3. Transportation – moving goods; 

4. Inventory – unnecessary storage of materials or products; 

5. Defects – quality defects resulting in rework or scrap;

6. Motion – non-value added or inefficient motion of people;

7. Over processing – processes that are not required to achieve the desired outcome;

​

Value Stream Mapping is a linear/graphic representation of all activities in a given process to identify those that create value and those that don’t (i.e. wastes).