By now we have removed all of the non-value-added clutter from your workplace and organized and labeled everything in each work area.
So let’s get move forward with step 3- Shine – Let’s take the time to make the
entire workplace looks clean and “shiny”.
There are several different thoughts on this step. Some people believe that shine is “just cleaning” However, my thoughts are that this step encompasses two items. CLEANING and PAINTING. Wash and degrease everything in the work area and then give anything that is looking a little tired a fresh new coat of paint. (Don’t forget the floors!) In the office dust, clean and paint if necessary in order to make everything look fresh and new.
Once everything is looking new again create a regular cleaning maintenance schedule including daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly tasks. It is crucial that you keep the place
looking brand new EVERY DAY. If you do not create and stick to a regular cleaning and maintenance schedule; it won’t take long for your business to look like it did before you started Step 1. That would be a huge shame.
Some of the reasons why the shine is such an important step are:
- First Impressions – People always like to see a clean environment
- Employee Satisfaction – People enjoy working in a clean environment
- Preventative Maintenance – Easy to spot leaks and broken or missing tools / supplies. When problems are detected early; they can be fixed easily and the chance of major problems occurring such as equipment failure are drastically reduced.
- Safety – If everything is clean and organized the chance of an accidental injury from tripping, slipping etc. will be reduced
- Saves Time – When cleaning is completed on a daily schedule, the time to clean will be far less than if left unclean for a long period of time.
Finally, take lots of pictures. Post the pictures in the different work areas. It is important for all employees to visually understand what the standard should look like in order for them to keep it that way. Congratulations, you are now well on your way to developing a proud culture within your organization. After all, wouldn’t you enjoy working in a clean, organized environment?