5S is a tried-and-true efficiency system; its sole aim is to reduce waste in production settings. Originally perfected at Toyota, it has been implemented at high-output workplaces around the globe; from Starbucks to the Canadian Postal Service and everything in between has put it into practice. The thing about 5S is that it has the funniest tendency of popping up in the least predictable of places; even outdated SpikeTV shows.
I can already hear the pitchforks screeching in the distance. “Dan!” some Karen will shout “SpikeTV was/is filled with nothing but toxic masculinity! And you are toxic for even mentioning it!” Ok sweetie, go back to your wine-mommy cope group; the adults are talking right now. Back in the 2010’s there was a show called Bar Rescue. The show’s host, a seasoned nightlife expert named Jon Taffer, would revitalize failing watering holes. As entertaining as the show was, it had an unintentional second purpose: 5S for Newbies.
For those unaware; 5S is a mindset in which each S would stand for a verb that guided the elimination of non-value-adding items or tasks. They are Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. The beauty of the system is that it’s so intuitive; one does not need a dictionary to understand what these terms mean. Simple terms enable clear, decisive action and gradual improvement. Adding to the simplicity is that the system lives-and-dies off of visual controls.
Taffer was notorious for aggressively chopping down the menu, thereby sorting what was needed from what was not. He was famous for the phrase you can’t be everything to everybody! While this is true from a marketing perspective (try selling a Pabst Blue Ribbon at a country club or Grand Mariner at a college bar), finding a core identity and optimizing for that is the right move. This is emblematic of 5S in a way because it inevitably purged the needless items from the business. Unused inventory (especially the perishable kind!) is a sneaky version of waste. Not on Enji Toyoda’s watch, and certainly not on Taffer’s…
One noted pet peeve of Taffer’s was the physical set-up of the cocktail stations. Taffer would routinely visit bars that were only filled to one-third capacity where the bartenders still could not keep pace with demand. The problem? Wasted motion. Change the settings and names as much as you’d like, but there would inevitably be a staff of bartenders that had to pinball back-and-forth for what they needed. Scurry to one end of the bar for the liquor, then back for the mixer, then back for the ice, and so on. Taffer’s solution? He’d design each cocktail station so the bartender never had to move. In fact, everything was within arms reach at a moment’s notice.
Shine; one of the core tenets of 5S, and you better believe that Taffer is a staunch supporter of it as well. A recurring theme was that Taffer would be appalled at the putrid state of these businesses. Biofilm built up through years of daily neglect. Aesthetics and health risks aside, cleanliness matters to both Taffer and to the Japanese for another reason; a visibly cleaner workspace makes it easier to identify problems. Thus, each episode features a deep cleaning of the entire building; hems-and-haws from owners and staff included!
An episode of Bar Rescue was not complete without a training montage; hold the Rocky music. The skill level of the staff was invariably sub-par, hence Taffer and his small team of rotating co-hosts would get everyone up to a certain..(wait for it, another important word) standard. Once the upskilling was complete, he’d frequently put time parameters in place; it should not take 10 minutes to make a goddamn Long Island Iced Tea or 25 minutes to make a cheeseburger. In a very real sense, this was Taffer instilling a cycle time (or takt time, for you Germans). This was the standard that staff were expected to adhere to. I wonder if Taffer is part Japanese?
Taffer was not content to just implement a new system and then ride off into the sunset. He’d regularly host follow-up episodes where he’d re-visit bars he rescued. The successful ones kept (or hell, even improved upon) the system that Taffer installed. Thus, this is the core tenet of Sustain on full display. If the 5S/Taffer system was not sustained, then the business fell apart, no exceptions.
“But Dan, why even bring this up? Intro to 5S programs exist, even at the Yellow Belt level” While this is true, it misses the point. Taffer isn’t walking around portraying his Lean certificates. The general public isn’t going to care about, or maybe even understand, building a transmission. However, they’ll easily comprehend bars. This wasn’t about mastery; it was about meeting the people where they are.
Lean (cocktail) production, fat profits…
Home Page 