5S is a Lean manufacturing technique that addresses the organization of workspaces and processes for a safer and more efficient manufacturing facility. It is called 5S because the five steps in this Lean tool, sorting, setting, shining, standardizing, and sustaining, all start with the letter S in both English and Japanese.

While this post is geared toward manufacturers' needs, the 5S technique can be of great value in other environments, such as healthcare and office settings.