September 26, 2014. Electromachine Scientific & Production Association (a member enterprise of Uralvagonzavod Corporation) coordinated the Best Workplace Contest within the framework of its lean manufacturing introduction program. Workers from the company’s mechanical, galvanizing, and pre-production department competed for the Best Workplace Based on 5S prize, the corporation’s press service reports.

The company started introducing the principles of lean manufacturing in July 2014; this is also when practical 5S workshops began to educate the staff about the organization and improvement of their workplace. The 5S principles are "sort", "straighten", "shine", "standardize" (maintaining overall order), and "sustain" (building a habit of complying with the rules and the technologies). Thanks to the 5S, the number of accidents goes down while the product quality and the labor productivity go up.

16 evaluation criteria were elaborated to coordinate the Best Workplace contest. Based on these criteria, there should be no irrelevant items or faulty tools at one’s workplace, each object should have its specially designated spot, faulty goods must be kept separately from quality ones, and much else besides.

Turner Sergey Terentiev from the pre-production department won in the Best Workplace Based on 5S Contest. The second prize went to turner Mikhail Zinnatov from the mechanical department, the third prize was awarded to electroplater Tatiana Baimler from the galvanizing department. Money premiums were awarded as prizes, while the rest of the contestants received some runner-up prizes,’ the press service says.

According to the enterprise, the launch of lean manufacturing principles has already proved fruitful, and the company will go on with it.