Visual Workplace Radio: Let The Workplace Speak

When 5S came to the West in the early 1980s, we were inspired and eager to get on board. In a blinding flash of the obvious, we asked how we could have worked for so many decades in such cluttered, dirty work places—and achieved any level of success. But the fact is we did work in such places, without a second thought—and we became a world economic power. Go figure. With the blessing of Womack and Malcolm, we forged ahead with 5S. Countless companies achieved remarkable 5S triumphs. But many other companies failed in ways both puzzling and wrenching. In some, using the term “5S” was banned forever. This week, your host and visual workplace expert, Gwendolyn Galsworth, takes a glance into the past and begins to answer the question: Why? What went wrong? Why had these unintended—often disastrous—consequences occurred? To start, she shares her take on the origins of Japan’s 5S model, its true role, and how all that fit with the values and preferences of the West. Tune in/learn more.