5S A Visual Control System for the Workplace gives a self study program for a commonsense low-cost approach to process management by providing a method for organizing a workplace, especially a shared workplace such as a workshop or an office space, and keeping it organized. 5S is often referred to as being housekeeping, however this characterization can be misleading, as workplace organization goes far beyond just housekeeping The key targets of 5S are improved workplace morale, safety and efficiency, achieved by assigning everything (that is needed) a location, time is not wasted by looking for things. Additionally, it is quickly obvious when something is missing from its designated location. By deciding what should be kept, where it should be kept, how it should be stored the benefits of this methodology become apparent and most importantly how the new order will be maintained. This decision making process usually comes from a dialog about standardization which builds a clear understanding, between employees, of how work should be done. It also instills a sense ownership of the process in each employee.

What Is 5S?
The 5S program focuses on organizational cleanliness and standardization to improve profitability, efficiency and safety by reducing waste of all types. It gives organizations the five keys to a total-quality environment.
The 5S philosophy was born in Japan within the 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace by Hiroyuki Hirano and the 5Ss: the Five Keys to a Total Quality Environment by Taashi Osada
The name "5S" comes from five Japanese words all beginning with S. They are:
S1 Seiri Sort (organization)
S2 Seiton Set in order (neatness)
S3 Seisou Shine (cleaning)
S4 Seiketsu Standardize
S5 Shitsuke Sustain (discipline, training)
At its most basic level, it can be seen as housekeeping.
The Reasons for 5S: Why Would We Need a Special Program for Housekeeping, and What is it?
We often only worry about what we see, but what lies beneath the surface could be ten times more valuable. What's worse is that we may not think the things we cannot see pose any problems. The invisible elements of the business, such as the overstock of material, are like an iceberg: there is far more that we cannot see below the surface than what we can see above the surface. Even the visible becomes invisible with time because we step over the waste each day.
We often tend to ignore problems because they've been there since the start of the business, the dawn of time, or we regard them as part of our operating system and dismiss them by saying, "It's the way we do things."
Examples of the results of ignoring problems are ineffective meetings, lack of discipline, excessive stock, hollow projects with no objectives, no performance measurement, no clear understanding of processes and so on. In short, processes that have outlived the organization's original purpose by no longer fulfil a need. These practices have been with us so long that we not even recognize them as threats or constraints to our operation.
But why would a special program for cleaning help relieve these problems? It is because 5S is more than just cleaning, or housekeeping, from time to time. Housekeeping implies cleaning after a mess has been created - a reactive approach.
Those who apply 5S principles just as a housekeeping program, only for aesthetics, will miss the true value of 5S to improve the operation's performance.