5S: Simplify: Everything In Its Place
Definition of SIMPLIFY (Seiton): Find the proper place for everything, and put everything in its place.
Once you have decided what to keep, you need to find the ideal place to store each item. This should be based on how frequently you use it.
Think about this in your own kitchen. If you only use your crock pot once a year at Thanksgiving to keep the gravy warm, then you don’t need to store it in a prime spot in your cupboard. But if you use it a few times a week, then it needs to be in very convenient place.
Placement is everything. Think about walking down the cereal aisle at the grocery store. The items they want you to see are at eye level. Use this same concept to find the best place for each item. Those things that you use often should be in an obvious and easy place to find, front and center. Those things that you don’t use often should be on an out of the way shelf or even in a storage room away from the main work area.
You also need to consider workflow in how and where you place items. Let’s go back to the kitchen. Consider all of the supplies and equipment stored there. If you bake a lot, you might set up a mixing station where all of your bowls, measuring spoons, and cake pans are all close to each other. You might have a place for dry ingredients such as flour, and baking powder. You might set up this mixing station right next to the refrigerator so that you have minimal steps to get to things you need like butter and milk.
If you use a stand mixer frequently, you might want it directly on the counter top nearby, or you might build a clever cabinet to hold it out of sight but at the ready. Store light items that may be bulky in a top shelf space, such as vertically stored cake pans and cookie sheets. These can be easily reached, but are not heavy, so as to minimize risk of injury. Remember, safety is always the rule. And always set up the space for easy cleaning.
Remember that your goal for placement is to cut down on time and effort and have all items that you need at maximum convenience. Spend time understanding how you use the workspace so that you can optimize placement of everything that you put in it. Give yourself plenty of time to plan your space.
How can you apply this concept to your workspace?
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