Abstract:

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the results of analysis and research resulting in the identification of key factors influencing the effective application of the 5S method in the production area of a manufacturing company. Passive factors, distinguished on the basis of the network thinking methodology, were analysed in detail. The study attempted to show that these passive factors, which turned out to be: facilitating the finding of tools and assigning places to objects, although having little impact on others, are themselves strongly influenced. Design/Methodology/Approach: The paper uses a triangulation of methods. To begin with, a network thinking methodology was used to look at the problem from different perspectives and to analyse the factors in the network and to identify the types and strength of interactions of the parts that make up the whole. This methodology was complemented by an in-depth individual interview, which was conducted in February 2023 with those responsible for production in a selected furniture manufacturing company. The whole was complemented by a CAWI survey of production employees of the same company in March 2023. The sampling was random. Findings: The results shows how the employees' assessment of the ease of finding tools changed in their opinion before and after the introduction of the 5S method in the surveyed manufacturing company. Practical Implications: Work tools are the basic equipment of any workplace. Without them, no enterprise can function normally, carry out essential tasks and thus make money. Downtime can cause major delays and material losses. On the basis of the research carried out, guidelines are given for solving the problem of the correct placement and finding of tools at the workstation. Originality/Value: The presented results complement the widely conducted worldwide research on the effective implementation of the 5S method in the production area of a company. The study was designed to fill a research gap in this area.