“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
What have the wise words of a Chinese philosopher got to do with the Central Medical Stores in Eswatini implementing a Japanese organizational method known as the 5S methodology?
The Eswatini Central Medical Stores (CMS) is on a path to becoming an autonomous entity, financially independent from the Ministry of Health with sole responsibility for managing their operating budget and personnel directly. This is following a similar journey taken by their health supply chain counterparts in Lesotho who have already achieved this success.
An efficient, financially independent Central Medical Stores will ensure an uninterrupted, equitable supply of quality medicines and medical supplies to health facilities, ensuring that the Swazi population has improved access to these commodities.
In preparation, the USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project is supporting the Ministry of Health to improve CMS operations in readiness for the transition. One area identified for improvement is workplace efficiency, starting with efficiency in inventory management and shipping of commodities. Improved warehousing and distribution capabilities is key for increasing trust and accountability.
Beginning in November 2023, GHSC-PSM supports the CMS in piloting the ‘5S methodology’ in the commodity dispatch section of the warehouse.
The name "5S" comes from five Japanese words that all start with the letter "S": Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke. These principles help create a more organized, efficient, and safe work environment.
In English, 5S becomes sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain. It can be summarized by the philosophy, “a place for everything and everything in its place.”
The philosophy of 5S is not just about tidying up the workplace; it's a fundamental approach to continuous improvement and efficiency. By implementing 5S, organizations can reduce waste, improve productivity, enhance workplace safety, and create a culture of discipline and order.
“Implementing 5S has improved the neatness and overall look in the workplace. It is humbling to see the pride in the officers who are sustaining these improvements.”
- Thembi Gama, Assistant Director of Central Medical Stores
The first step was to eliminate redundant stock and obsolete equipment. After thorough organizational and cleaning efforts, the focus is now on sustaining the standard and replicating it in the other areas of the warehouse.
A 5S team of five people was established comprising a pharmacist, two stores' personnel and two warehouse assistants.
Items in the dispatch area were sorted into keep, discard, or relocate. The area was then cleaned and painted before all commodities were placed in their designated location.
The methodology has since been replicated throughout the warehouse, with efforts to sort, straighten, shine, standardize, and sustain the receiving bay, cold room, and warehouse surroundings proving successful.
Sustaining the wins from 5S can take time and patience, but building a culture of continuous improvement and efficiency has knock on effects beyond the surroundings. It influences how team members interact, how they feel about their work, and ultimately how effectively they can collaborate to achieve common goals.
The importance of culture.
“We must stand together; if we don’t, there will be no victory for any one of us.”
— Mother Jones
While there might be milestones or specific goals within the 5S framework, the process itself is intended to be an ongoing cycle of evaluation and improvement rather than a project with a fixed endpoint.
Regular audits and inspections are conducted to ensure compliance with set standards, while employees are rewarded for their contributions to maintaining an organized workspace.
Culture is essential in a winning team because it creates a cohesive environment where shared values and goals align team members' efforts, fostering trust, respect, and open communication. This unity enhances collaboration, drives motivation, and encourages accountability, ensuring that everyone is committed to high performance and continuous improvement.
CMS Charter
By implementing 5S, we aim to create a safer, more organized, and efficient workplace that promotes employee well-being and supports our overall business objectives. This charter outlines our commitment to the 5S principles and our determination to continuously improve and sustain these practices for the long term.
How has 5S impacted warehouse performance?
After implementation of the 5S methodology, the improved organization led to an increase in the number of products handled per day and increased the number of facilities served per month. The shipment verification process for a single facility is completed in a single day, and dispatch activities for an entire region has been reduced to three days.
The chart below shows increased dispatch quantities in January 2024, following the 5S implementation between October and December 2023.
Coordination between various units within the CMS is much faster as everyone understands their role within the bigger picture, thanks to the standardization efforts put in place.
Since implementing the 5S method, the CMS has experienced reduced costs, reduced waste, increased productivity, higher quality service delivery, improved customer satisfaction, greater employee satisfaction, and a safer work environment.
What’s next?
5S implementation never reaches an end point. It is an ongoing cycle aimed at continuous improvement and maintenance of a well-organized, efficient, and safe workplace.
The CMS continues to expand its implementation of 5S, applying these principles to more areas of the warehouse, all the while working on sustaining progress already made.
5S provides a solid base for deploying other advanced methodologies that drive productivity, quality, and continuous improvement in an organization.
This is just the first step in the journey to self-sufficiency…
