When Working From Home - The Best Way to Organize Your Operations
By: Chandrasoma Perera
When you become your own boss and your home becomes your own office certain adjustments become essential. The first priority is to arrange a place to work, an office location.
Even though it is home sweet home, you have to plan the best way to organize your work area. The place to work, however small it may be in size, need to be set up properly. Think of the items you will need in addition to your computer. There will be files, books, magazines, CDs, furniture etc., to keep properly to optimize access. Your working environment should be free of stress and clutter.
The initial focus need to be on keeping the place organized. Organizing a work from home office or even a formal work place like a huge office or a factory will involve the same principals. To do this there is a time tested and successful methodology known as 5S. The 5S methodology, originated in Japan, helps to systematically organize any work place small or big.
The 5S principals can be applied even to organize a small area of activity like your own hand-bag. The 5S ensures ‘A Place For A Thing And A Thing In Its Place’. Wherever it is applied, the 5S methods improve efficiency and productivity. In Japan, 5S can be seen usefully applied in offices, kitchens, rooms, roads, gardens homes, stores and big plants as well.
5S helps to reduce space needed and maximize speed of retrieval of items. This amazing system is called 5S because it uses five Japanese words all starting with ‘S’ sound.
The five step 5S methodology in brief is as follows;
Seiri -Sort - To keep what is necessary and discard what is not necessary.
Seiton -Specify location - Keep what is in need arranged in order so that can be picked up easily when you need them.
Seiso -Clean/clear - Clean the work place regularly to be free of rubbish, be neat and tidy.
Seuketsu –Cleanliness – Regulate schedules and ways to keep cleanliness and set layout.
Shitsuke –Self discipline (Motivate) - Train and discipline all involved on following 5S.
Start with the first 5S principle - Seiri by sorting and identifying what is not necessary, what is needed regularly, what is not needed immediately etc. There may be items that should not be there at all like a broken chair or an item not of any use to be there. So you can start to sort with the participation of your home people too as team work always helps. You will find items that will never be needed. Such items can easily be discarded.
The next 5S principle namely Seiton is to identify, sort, and label or tag the items found Necessary to enable to identify easily and indexing will help. Visual identification methods such as using color codes, colors, location indicators etc., that will help to spot and pick up any item from its location instantly. You can be innovative here.
The third S of 5S, Seiso ensures clean and tidy place to work by cleaning, sweeping and dusting etc.
While the fourth S namely Seuketsu involves standardizing with set routines, schedules etc, to maintain the workplace clean and as arranged continuously.
The fifth S that is Shitsuke ensures that the system is clearly understood and practices with training and self discipline by every one involved. This training will help you to think analytically, always identify whatever is needed for your progress and discard what are time and energy wasters in life too. Benefits of 5S, orientation being improved, efficiency and productivity, it will boost up your overall business performance too.
The 5S will make the work place, your home business office, or your home, if applied, a Beautiful environment, pleasing to the eye so that you will feel home is where the heart is and can work with comfort, ease, speed and mental peace.
About the Author:
Chandrasoma Perera writes regularily on wide range of subjects and promotes a simple work from home opportunity in his website:- http://www.chanano.com
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When you become your own boss and your home becomes your own office certain adjustments become essential. The first priority is to arrange a place to work, an office location. 
