Preparing Holding Areas for the Sort Activity
Preparing Holding Areas for the Sort Activity
During the 6S Sort activity there is a procedure for identifying unneeded items know as “Red Tagging.” Red Tagging is used to draw attention to unneeded items.
During the Sort activity, team members can tag unneeded items to show who tagged it, where and when the item was tagged, and why it doesn’t belong in the area. Tags can also have additional information such as the item’s cost, model number, and suggestions on what to do with the item.
The 6success.com Red Tag looks like this:
| 6S – Sort: Red Tag | |||
| Category |
|
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| Item Name | |||
| Item/Serial Number | |||
| Quantity | |||
| Value | |||
| Area of the Home | |||
| Red Tag Date | |||
| Reasons | |||
| Recommended Actions | |||
Be careful not to go crazy with the red tag system or you may find yourself surrounded by a sea of red tags and little motivation to do anything about it. Don’t red tag trash, items that belong in other areas, or lots of little items. Throw trash away, recycle unneeded paper, plastics and glass. Move items to their correct locations in other areas and move little items to a box for temporary storage until you can deal with all the little stuff.
Certainly red tag the big stuff because it will be easier to identify the large unneeded items and move them as a team.
Red Tag Holding Area
Holding areas are areas where unneeded items can be temporarily deposited until they are moved to other locations or disposed of. Each target area should have an adjacent local holding area. If the area of the home is large enough, consider a central holding area that the entire household can use, especially for items too large to be kept in local holding areas. Holding areas really enable the Sort activity of 6S. With holding areas, “just in case” type people are more likely to move an item out when the need for the item is in doubt. Without a holding area, the decision is usually to “leave it where it is.”
6S Unneeed Item Cart Example
Eventually, you will want to remove all the unneeded items that you have red tagged in the target area. You need to create a temporary holding area where unneeded items can be deposited until they are moved to other locations or disposed of. This holding area should be adjacent to the target area if possible.
Make sure you clearly identify and explain the holding area to all members of the 6S team. When people know there is a place to take unneeded items, they will be more likely to use it and even move items out when the need for the item is in question. Basically, if you don’t have a holding area most people will decide just to leave items where they are – whether they are needed or not.
Understand that many people realize that there are unneeded items in household areas. It’s just that most people feel that there is no where to put this old junk, so they hide it in their closets, under desks, and in boxes tucked into corners. When people finally have a place to put this unneeded stuff, they are usually relieved. Until then, they will be afraid to throw it out. So get these items out of the way by establishing a temporary holding area for unneeded items.
