With 5S, Meyers streamlines workflow

We’ve been taking a closer look lately at the way we work at Meyers, trying to find ways to more efficient, more organized, and better prepared to work each day. Many areas of the operation have gone through 5S improvements with an eye toward taking a good workflow and making it great.

If you’re not familiar with this approach, 5S might sound like an obscure competitor to 4-H. It’s not. The process has its origins in Japan and approaches operational organization and optimization with a focus on five Japanese words that translate as: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. The idea is to get rid of items that are no longer necessary and better organize everything that remains so employees can work more efficiently.

We recently completed the process in the plate mounting area of our label and card division, because while we have made several efforts to improve press location and technology in the press room, the plate mounting area hadn’t yet adjusted to accommodate those changes.

Our 5S team cleared unnecessary equipment from the area and redesigned the layout to make the best possible use of equipment and rack space. They reorganized supplies and relocated magnetic storage from an upstairs mezzanine to easily-accessed space in the plate mounting and kit assembly area. They also cleared out old or unused dies and moved what remained to their area of use.

When the work was done, the plate mounting area was condensed to a single location, reorganized for better efficiency, and more accessible. The updated space saves time and is safer for employees.

This project is just one example of the work — 5S-based and otherwise — that happens regularly at Meyers to make sure our work spaces are as organized, efficient, and safe as they can be. Getting it done is an investment, but we believe it’s worth the effort to maximize our ability to create outstanding work for our clients.