The 5S Audit Form

The 5S Audit Form is used as a tool as a part of the fifth S – sustain. Every area in your facility should be audited on a regular basis. Crews, departments or work groups should informally audit themselves weekly by seeking feedback and evaluating their 5S status during weekly meetings. Someone from outside the crew, department or work group should perform a 5S audit on a regular basis. When 5S is first being implemented the outside audit might take place once a month. Once it appears that 5S is being sustained, the outside audit might occur once a quarter. Regular audits are necessary to ensure that 5S efforts continue and that people do not slide back into old habits taking shortcuts.


The 5S Audit Form is an important part of the audit. It provides a checklist to ensure the audit is both consistent and complete. Audit forms may vary from workplace to workplace to address specific problems or issues. The following provides a general overview of what is typically included.


Keep it simple. A detailed 5S Audit Form that specifies everything to be checked will result in people performing to the requirements of the form, instead of the requirements of 5S. Get the items on your 5S Audit Form general in nature. The person conducting the audit can add comments to address specifics.

5s Audit Form 5s Audit Form Blank

5S Audit Form Header


A 5S Audit Form has three sections.


The top of the 5S Audit Form should have an area for the following information:


Area Audited: (Identify the department or physical area being audited.)
Date/Time/Shift: (When did the audit take place.)
Employee Interviewed: (An audit involves talking with people who work in the area.)
Audit Team Member(s): (Identify the person(s) conducting the audit.)
Type of Audit: (Monthly / Quarterly / Weekly Self-Audit)
Overall Score: (Have a large section at the top where the total score can be shown.)


5S Audit Form Body (Scoring)


The middle part of the 5S Audit Form has a section for each of the Five S's. Within each of those sections has a series of questions that identify what the auditor is looking for or inspecting. Each item on the list should be scored. Using a scale of 0-5 is common:


0 – No evidence of 5S seen
1 – Some evidence seen in a few areas 2 – Some evidence seen in multiple areas
3 – Evidence seen in most areas
4 – Extensive evidence seen
5 – No problems found

The following are typical questions to ask on a 5S Audit Form:


Sort:

  • Are there any unneeded items (tools, machinery, supplies, racks, shelves, etc.) in the area?
  • Are there any red tagged items that have been there more than four weeks?
  • Are personal belongings properly stored?

Set In Order:

  • Are the needed items conveniently located in visually designated storage locations?
  • Is moveable equipment stored in areas clearly designated by floor marking?
  • Are shadow boards used for storing tools? When not in use are items returned to where they belong? And stored neatly?
  • Are aisles and walkways clearly marked and identified?
  • Are all machines, equipment, work areas, etc. clearly labeled or marked by signs?

Shine:

  • Are all machines, workstations, floors, tables, cabinets, walls and all items in the area clean, free from clutter, dirt, debris, oil or grease?
  • Are all machines maintained?
  • Are checklists up to date?
  • Are cleaning materials available?
  • Are all floor marking, shadow boards, labels and signs clean and undamaged?
  • Are scrap bins, trash and recycle containers available and emptied on a regular basis?

Standardize:

  • Have documented standards been established and posted on the first three S's (sort, set in order and shine)?
  • Are current standards being followed and improved? (For example, are the standards for responding to missing tools, or lower than minimum levels, being followed?)
  • Have cleaning tasks been assigned?
  • Are all parts and supply storage areas marked, using a standard marking and color coding system, including showing minimum and maximum levels?

Sustain:

  • Have all four of the above S's been fully implemented?
  • Are past audits posted and used for improvement?
  • Is 5S discussed at crew/department meetings?
  • Are display boards up to date?
  • Is the team auditing itself weekly and posting the results?

5S Audit Form Footer (Comments)


A section should be provided at the bottom of the 5S Audit Form with plenty of room for comments. A good idea is to have several sections here. This will help prompt the auditor to include additional information and observations.


Comments – general observations and additional information about the audit.
Concerns – additional information and observations about items above that were ranked particularly low.
Plus Points – compliments about things that were particularly good or noteworthy.
Suggestions – note actions that can be taken for improvement.


The "Suggestions" section is expanded, in some cases, to provide a suggested action plan. An action plan identifies what needs to be done and whose responsibility it is to get it done.


Suggestions and Action Plans should not be solely written by the auditor and imposed on those being audited. Action Plans, in particular, should be developed working with those responsible for 5S in the area being audited. First go over the results of the audit, then discuss and agree on the action plan.


A 5S Audit Form is a valuable tool both for implementing and sustaining 5S. It serves to keep a focus on the actions that create a 5S program that generates results. And it serves as a reminder that we need to sustain those actions, if we are to get the expected benefits from 5S.


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