From Clutter to Clarity

When you think about sailing, you likely imagine a smooth, refreshing ride in a craft that is elegant, efficient, and powerful. But behind the scenes, one small manufacturer of electric sailboat engines was struggling with something far less graceful: a cluttered shop floor.

The company, a passionate builder of clean-energy propulsion systems for boating, was growing fast. But with growth came chaos. Tools were scattered. Workstations were messy. Works-in-progress were stored wherever there was room. Team members had developed habits for “making it work,” but it was clear the shop wasn’t set up to scale.

That’s when we introduced 5S, a deceptively simple but powerful Lean technique for organizing a workspace.

More Than Just Tidying Up

If you’ve dipped your toe into Lean before, you’ve probably heard of 5S. It’s often the first visible sign that a company is exploring operational excellence: shadow boards on the wall, labeled drawers, checklists for how to tidy up.

It’s not about neatness for neatness’s sake. Sure, a clean and organized space is great for morale. And it’ll reduce motion waste, since workers aren’t constantly hunting for what they need. But more importantly, 5S builds the muscle that every Lean thinker needs: the ability to see - and be bothered by - the abnormal.

When a space is in order, it becomes immediately obvious when something’s off. A missing tool, a pile of scrap, product sitting idle for days - these become signals. It’s visual management in its purest form. You’re no longer blind to problems as they arise, and feel compelled to address them, rather than letting them slide.

And that’s exactly what our electric engine client discovered.

Step 1: SORT – Keep Only What’s Essential

We began with the first “S”: Sort. The owner combed through their shop and identified what was necessary, vs. what was just taking up space.

This single step made a massive impact.

They unearthed several caches of old parts no longer usable on current models, expensive equipment that hadn’t been touched in months, and tools that were out of place. Many items could be sold for decent money. They realized they’d been putting up with a lot of wasted motion by working around all those things, and clearing them out freed up precious space. The client is now optimistic that they can scale production without expanding their physical footprint - a huge cash-saver for a bootstrapped company.

Step 2: SET in Order – Give Everything a Home

With the clutter gone, the shop floor was a blank canvas. That’s when we tackled Set in Order.

We laid out the assembly line with a clear, logical flow. Parts move from right to left, from raw materials through assembly to final test. Each tool is placed exactly where it will be used - no more zigzagging across the shop to grab a wrench or connector. Each item has a visually obvious “home”. You can walk in and understand, at a glance, what stage each motor is in. This allows for more focused work, vs. constant distraction.

Step 3: SHINE – Clean the Workspace

Next came Shine. This isn’t just janitorial work - it’s a mindset shift.

We wiped down surfaces, put power tools back on chargers, swept the floor, and took out the garbage. Doing so developed pride in the environment – the owner couldn’t wait to show his wife (a co-owner) how great the shop looked when she dropped by at the end of the day. The shop started to feel like a place of craftsmanship again. Not just a warehouse where people show up and toil away for the day, but a workshop where products are built with expertise and care.

Step 4: STANDARDIZE – Keep It Going

Now that the shop was clean and organized, we helped the client build simple routines to Standardize the new system.

The team agreed on basic daily and weekly tasks to keep the shop in shape, and created a simple checklist to ensure it all happens. With items visually organized, it was easier for folks other than the owner to jump in and help. Not surprisingly, this step turned out to be self-reinforcing. Once the team experienced how much easier and more pleasant it was to build engines in an organized space, they didn’t want to go back. They even wanted to take out the trash more often!

Step 5: SUSTAIN – Continuously Improve

And finally, we got to the Sustain step. This is often the hardest “S”, because entropy is always trying to pull us back into chaos.

But something clicked with this client. They didn’t just maintain the new setup, they started improving it. Within two weeks, they’d worked through 11 new ideas for making the workspace even better. We set up a kanban board to track these ideas, and they kept it moving without being prompted.

They were building a habit - of noticing, acting, and iterating. Pushing aside the complacency, because they realized how much impact a little effort would have.

A Foundation for the Future

While the physical workspace is still evolving, the cultural shift is already paying dividends.

It is now easier to spot problems earlier: when a product takes an unexpected detour, when a part is left out of sequence, when someone’s pulled away from their station. The ability to see what’s normal and what’s not is a cornerstone of Lean thinking. And it’s what enables companies to deliver consistent quality and stay nimble as they grow.

With this foundation, the company is now well-positioned to tackle bigger improvements in speed and quality. But it all started with the simple act of cleaning up shop.

5S is an easy way to start being Lean

Throughout my Lean career, I’d been skeptical of 5S. “Isn’t this just a solution in search of a problem?” I’d often thought. I didn’t push it on my clients, favoring a more comprehensive training and process improvement “Launch” as the best way to start a Lean journey.

Now that I work with smaller companies who are hustling to scale without burning out, I see it differently. 5S is a practical, fast, and energizing way to get started on the path to operational excellence, particularly if you’re short on time, and too mired in daily operations to see a way out.

Curious about Lean but overwhelmed by where to start? Let’s get your workspace into ship shape! Book a call to learn more about this low-cost, instantly rewarding place to begin.