Housekeeping comprises the set of cleaning and hygiene tasks involved in preparing rooms for guests in a hotel unit. The 5S philosophy is a Japanese method aimed at continuous improvement, that is, constant refinement, reflecting an attitude of incorporating consistent improvements into daily life, capable of meeting a single goal: to make us better today than we were yesterday.
The designation 5S refers to the initials of 5 Japanese words: Seiri (sort/utilization), Seiton (set in order/organization), Seiso (shine/cleaning), Seiketsu (standardize/standardization) and Shitsuke (sustain/discipline). This philosophy is based on a code of principles
of ethics that can be summarized as discipline, harmony, and cooperation, and is geared toward a paradigm shift in company behavior.
The main objective of 5S is to promote discipline, safety, and productivity in the workplace through the awareness and accountability of everyone. These are relevant vectors for a hotel unit's housekeeping, with direct relevance to a type of systematized organization aimed at supporting appropriate decision-making by the respective Management.
The 5S consist of the following:
- Seiri (sort): separating the necessary from the superfluous helps to avoid waste.
- Seiton (set in order): putting everything in its proper place helps to organize the workspace effectively, allowing tasks to be completed on time and increasing employee productivity.
- Seiso (shine): keeping the work environment clean and well-maintained, as well as the tools used in performing tasks. By improving the level of cleanliness, the workplace becomes safer, more organized, and more pleasant.
- Seiketsu (standardize): creating work norms (so-called standards) with patterns and procedures based on objective and well-defined rules.
- Shitsuke (sustain): mobilizing all parties involved towards a commitment to the 5S philosophy, making it a habit.
The evaluation of a 5S philosophy integrated into a housekeeping program is the responsibility of a hotel unit's management, with the certainty that the impact of its implementation will result in gains in productivity and the enrichment of corporate culture as new habits are incorporated within the company.
