Application Of 5-S Principles

The 5-S practice had been mainly used in manufacturing and services sectors, and achieved great results since the early 1980s. However, the application of the 5-S practice in construction projects is still in its infancy. Therefore, this paper aimed to investigate 5-S practice on a project site of decoration company.This paper first analyzed the importance of employing 5-S principles on decorative construction project sites. Then, a conceptual framework was built. During the empirical study, case study method was selected, with two sites, namely RH and GK, -examined. To collect data, structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, field observation were adopted.The results showed that:during the process of managing the construction project site, safety issues are the top concerns. Initially, improving the safety consciousness of staffs is necessary. Moreover, the situation of safety management system execution is bad, and workers normally operate based on their personal habits. It is also found that specific elements of 5-S site management contribute to better time, quality, satety and satisfaction.The practical implications are:1) applying 5-S practice is feasible in decoration companies; 2) companies should customize their own systems with the consideration of company characteristics and requirements of different programs.Overall, the lessons will be beneficial to other decoration companies in terms of improving site performance.