5S your Desktop Computer or Laptop
 Have you ever had this conversation:-
You: "Hi there. I appear to have a problem with my desktop. Every time I
use my e-mail program it comes up with the message:-
"Your system is very very busy. Incredibly busy in fact. Error code
#1234567-001abc.Talk to your systems administer or ISP or search our
knowledge base for information on this particular error."
IT Support Dept: "Turn off your computer and start it again. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
I'm a great believer in self help....
As you may already know, 5S, is a methodology for creating a high performance workplace that is free of
clutter and has "a place for everything and everything in its place. The 5S's are Sort, Straighten, Scrub,
Systems, Sustain
Although 5S is generally used to create Visual Control in an Office or Manufacturing Shop
floor environment, the same principles can equally be applied to your Personal Desktop or
Laptop Computer. Applying 5S to your computer can help you avoid many common faults
associated with a bloated, over burdened PC.
So let us go through the 5S and learn about a few things you can do to successfully apply
them to your PC. We will concentrate on the first 2S's Sort and Straighten.
Step #1 SORT
 PC's can store amazing amounts of data. Data storage is
now relatively cheap. So what is the problem? Just store
everything. That way you will never lose anything and can always
access it if you need it on a future occasion. Sounds good doesn't it.
Unfortunately reality is not quite as simple. Many people do not have
a clue as to what is on their PC far less where it is stored. You know
the drill. Create a Word document or PowerPoint presentation and then
store it in "My documents”. Unlike normal 5S one of the challenges is to eliminate the need for
Sort by not storing things in the first place unless.
If we do not adopt this philosophy then eventually we will continue to store data indefinitely.
Unlike a shop floor or office it is harder to "see" that we are accumulating clutter. The other
thing that happens is that the information that we store loses its value over time. In general
one year after a document is created; you will only access it about 1% of the time. Think
about all of those e-mails that you are hoarding on your hard drive. How often do you actually
go back and look at them. So hopefully I've made the point by now.
Do not store things unless you will definitely need them again. If you will definitely need them
again, but not very often, buy yourself a back up storage device, and put them on that.
So, for the moment, we are where we are. How do I go about sorting my PC? There are three
critical areas that need to be addressed in terms of Sort, if you want to have an efficient PC.
These are software, files and e-mail. By getting rid of software and files that you do not
actually need, you will benefit by giving your PC a bit more processing capability by freeing
up memory.
So step 1 is to get rid of unused applications on your PC. If you are not sure about some of
the applications and what they do, then you can Google their name and find out more. Always
get advice if you are not sure.
Step2 is to get rid of files that you no longer require. I would stick to documents that you
have created, to keep things simple at this stage. So for instance you can search for "*.doc"
on your PC and order the results by date. Pick a date that you think is sensible, and then
review all of the items older than that date. Another thing you can do is sort the files by size.
So for instance, If you have a massive *.ppt presentation that you no longer need then get
rid of it.
Step3 is similar but it involves e-mail. A couple of things here. If you use Outlook there is a
handy little utility you can use. In Outlook just go to Tools and then Mailbox Cleanup.
This utility is fairly self explanatory and can assist you in getting rid of e-mail that you
no longer require.
Step #2 STRAIGHTEN
 Files and Folders
To straighten your PC you need to organise your data into folders
and sub folders just like in a Library. So for instance you may create a folder "Lean information" and then create sub folders "5S","Poka Yoke",
"Toyota Production System" etc. under "Lean Information". You can
then store your files in the sub folders.
Internet Web pages
Many of us now use the internet as a virtual knowledge base for our areas of interest. You
come across a website you like and then "Add in to your favourites". Often, that is the last
time you will ever see that web page. Why? Usually it is because your favourites are not
even organised in to folders.
A great utility that I came across is called "Tidy Favourites". The thing I like about it is that
it allows you to save web addresses using a thumbnail snapshot of the website. There is a
version you can download for personal use at:-
http://www.tidyfavorites.com/ .
Since I have applied this "straighten" utility to my own PC it has made me more productive.
Another "Straighten" utility that you may want to consider can be downloaded at:
http://www.stardock.com/products/fences/
It's called 2Fences". Basically, it allows you to organise the icons on your desktop any way
you want. It just makes it far faster to find programs, if you have a busy desktop.
Step #3 SCRUB
 Keeping your PC free from dust and contamination can help prolong
the life of your PC. A build up of dust, particularly on cooling fans
can have serious consequences in terms of components over-heating
and failing. A clean screen is also a good idea. Always follow the
manufacturer's advice in terms of how maintenance tasks should
be performed.
Scrub can also be equally applied to cleaning your hard drive of
files that are no longer required.
Step #4 SYSTEMS
 Just like "normal" 5S we need to put systems in place to make sure
first three S's are unbreakable. Do you have a system for backing
up your files? How often do you clean your PC? How often do you
delete out of date files? When did you last update your anti-virus
software?
You would be surprised how many people don't do any of things and
only react when their PC starts to malfunction.
Always ensure your PC is up to date with the latest downloads from your Software providers.
The bottom line is you need to put in procedures to ensure that your PC is always in tip top
condition. Setting up procedures for file naming conventions can also save you a lot of time
once it is in place. (i.e. using version numbers etc.)
Step #5 SUSTAIN
 To sustain the gains made by applying the 5S to your PC or laptop
you need to include your PC health as part of an audit process. This
could include; how files are being maintained, free space on your hard
drive, a system performance speed check, desktop organisation,
backups, cleanliness etc. Just the act of scheduling an audit may
challenge you to perform the routine maintenance tasks that we all
should be doing to ensure hassle free computers (Well most of the time..)
In conclusion
Hope fully you can see how the 5S technique can be applied to your humble desktop. Many
of us spend a fair amount of time pressing keys to move information around. To do this
efficiently a well maintained PC is key and applying Sort and Straighten could be a great
first step to de-cluttering your computer and your life.
Hope this helps.
Graham Ross
Back to Lean kaizen Home Page from the 5S your PC Article
Get free Lean kaizen toolkit
Back to Lean kaizen article info
| 
