Business Quote by Hiroyuki Hirano
“A company that cannot successfully implement the 5S's cannot expect to effectively integrate JIT, re-engineering, or any other large-scale change. Good workplaces develop beginning with the 5S's. Bad workplaces fall apart beginning with the 5S's.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Lean Management Principles, Hiroyuki Hirano, 2008
Without solid 5S foundations, larger initiatives like JIT or re‑engineering will fail; good workplaces start with 5S, bad ones collapse.
In simple terms: Strong 5S basics are essential for larger improvements.
Key Takeaway
Start with 5S before larger changes.
Themes
lean manufacturing
process improvement
quality control
Mood
practical
instructive
Type
operational
educational
When to use this quote
- factory setup
- office organization
- project kickoff
- process audit
Key Concepts
5S
just‑in‑time
re‑engineering
continuous improvement
Questions to Reflect On
- Is 5S always the first step?
- How to balance quick wins with foundational work?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on 5S can delay urgent changes.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)