5s is a management consulting technique which is employed to efficiently and effectively manage a workplace, be it manufacturing or services, by identification and storage of all the items required, the exact place and color code of each item and making efforts to sustain this process with continuous improvement. 5s as the name suggests, uses 5 Japanese letters, all starting with S : Seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke which would simply mean Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain respectively.
5s was generally considered a housekeeping methodology but lately, it is being used to improve processes, systems and personnel.