RSC Equipment Rental last week announced that all its store locations have completed the implementation of the 5S program. 5S is a technique of workplace organization that fosters continuous improvements, efficiency, waste reduction, safety and sustainability that originated from Japanese manufacturing techniques.
5S stands for:
Sort: identify, classify and prioritize all store items.
Store Flow: determine how to best expedite flow of customers, paperwork and equipment for a smoother running operation.
Shine: maintain a clean, organized and professional workplace.
Standardization: develop consistent service operations by setting routines and schedules.
Self-Discipline: support program and motivate employees through self assessments and training.
“5S is one more example of the type of sustainable innovation that characterizes RSC and it is a proven process for bringing continuous improvement and greater efficiency to our operations,” said Erik Olsson, president and CEO. “5S is an important process that benefits both our customers and our employees. The program has become a part of our culture by transforming our operations as well as our employees and how we service our customers.”
5S is a lean management tool originally developed and utilized in the manufacturing industry and has been successfully applied by RSC in our equipment service and solutions business model. The process involves all employees in a structured method of achieving continuous improvements, such as capital and cost efficiencies, flow and store appearance. Once a store has performed all five steps of the program it can become certified following a review process. Stores are reviewed annually to be considered for renewed certification. All RSC locations are actively participating in the 5S program.
Garth Landefeld, an RSC project manager in the innovations department who led the implementation of 5S, said, “Continuous improvement is a journey we started back in 2001 and 5S helped set the foundation for our cultural transformation leading to increases in productivity, employee engagement and customer service.”
RSC Equipment Rental, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is No. 2 on the RER 100.
