Japanese organisation system

Order is the basis of an ongoing process of improvement. Tidiness and cleanliness are not just the motto at Prinovis Ahrensburg, but are also consistently applied and optimised. This does not sound particularly exciting at first glance, but this is against the background of a Japanese organisation system.

Every colleague at Ahrensburg at least is aware of it: the 5C guideline (5A in German). This stands for five concepts – Clarify, Cut clutter, Cleanse, Create order, Constantly improve. Sounds easy, but not always so. Who really has the time and leisure to control his work place, sort documentation and materials and dispose of the unnecessary. But, sooner or later, the piper must be paid. By the way, 5C was established in Ahrensburg in 2001 already. So, just what is behind it all? To simplify, the 5C can be reduced to an easy formula: cleanliness and tidiness equals safety. The 5C concept at Ahrensburg ensures that everything runs smoothly and correctly at the machines and the plant in rotogravure printing. Organisation of the work place in accordance with the 5C principles ensures that tools can actually be found where they are required, work processes are accurately described and, incidentally, more tidiness at the machines and in the plant maintains occupational safety at a high level.

Peter Kapalla, Head of Electrical Engineering and coordinator for the 5C tool explains the 5C systematic thus: »Every colleague is the absolute specialist at his work place. He knows which documentation and tools he needs when and for what purpose. In addition, he knows the work procedures at his work place by heart.« The colleagues use the 5C to implement this. Together they sort out what is duplicated or no longer required. And many things about the procedures can be simplified or standardised. The successes which are achieved are recorded through regular standardised checks in the sections. An assessor, not from the same department, inspects the 5C status. The overarching motto: if everything is in its place and the procedures are clear, then work will proceed faster and better.

Peter Kapalla comments on the current development: »In 2007, we revisited 5C again in earnest. We concentrated especially on the technical and production sections and organised the sections in accordance with 5C, introducing a range of measures. To ensure that our efforts are sustained, a complex system of controls is used to regularly check the implementation of the 5C measures in the sections. We may also discover new requirements for actions during a walkabout in an area – whereafter we would then establish new areas for checking.«

In the course of more than thirty 5C actions in the production and technical sections in Ahrensburg in 2007, significant quantitative and qualitative benefit potentials could be raised. In this respect, it was particularly important to draw the attention of the colleagues to critical weak points in the organisation and in housekeeping. We can report on the following examples of improvements:

  • A number of old and no longer required electrical assemblies had accumulated in the electrical switchgear stations in the past years. These were sorted out in the course of a 5C action, parts which were no longer required were disposed of and a uniform basic order was created in every switchgear station.
  • In the technical centres (e.g. air conditioning technology) a 5C compliant standard is guaranteed by systematic arrangement of technical equipment and uniform marking of switching elements and valves. These sections now score 100 percent in 5C checks.
  • In the Cylinder Production, Printing and Post Press/Finishing sections, the regular 5C actions guarantee a sustained improvement in the placement of tools and working materials. Because these machines and plant and equipment are operated in shifts, it is particularly important that 5C is maintained here. The 5C system guarantees that each colleague will find his equipment where expected, even after a shift change.

»But this looks just like 5C!« has become a dictum in Ahrensburg. Thanks to the good cooperation of all those involved, work organisation, cleanliness and tidiness were greatly improved in Ahrensburg over the past years. It is, however, necessary to keep our eye on the ball to safeguard what has been achieved and ensure that the future will still be 5C.

(03.04.2008)

Keepers of tidiness. Peter Kapalla and Michael Labusch ensure compliance with rules.