How is the 5S audit score calculated?

Each criterion is scored 0 to 4, so 25 criteria give a maximum of 100 points and 20 points per S. An area that scores 15, 13, 11, 9 and 8 has 56 of 100 points, a 56.0 percent score. The plant score for a month is the sum of that month's totals over the number of audits times 100, so every audit weighs the same.

What should the 5S score target be?

Set your own. The workbook ships with 80 percent as an example and marks an audit Near target within 5 percent below it, so 76 to 80 percent against an 80 percent target. Many plants start lower and raise the target once areas hold their scores for a few months; there is no published standard target.

Can I use my own 5S checklist or a 0 to 5 scale?

Yes. Edit the criteria on the Checklist sheet and set the points per criterion on Setup. With four criteria per S scored 0 to 5, each S has a maximum of 20 and the audit 100, and the Check column flags any section subtotal above its maximum.

Why score each S separately?

Because the average hides the pattern. In the example the plant reaches about 70 percent by September, but Sustain is still the weakest S at well under the Sort score. The radar chart shows the five S for the first and latest month, so you can see which ones moved and which did not.

How are overdue actions counted?

Against the status date you type on Setup, not today's date, so the file never changes by itself. An open action due on 25 September is Overdue at a 2 October status date; one due on 7 October is Due soon with a 7-day window; a closed action is Complete and counts as on time if it closed by its due date.

How is the value of floor space freed estimated?

Space freed by closed Sort actions times your facility cost per unit area per year. Freeing 24 square metres at 95 per square metre per year is worth about 2,280 a year of space now available for other use. It is an estimate of occupancy cost, not a cash saving, unless you use or give up the space.

Operations and Labor

5S Audit Checklist Excel Template

Score every area against a 25-point 5S checklist each month, track the findings to closure, and see the 5S score by area, by S and by month against your own target.

Overview

This 5S audit checklist is a working Excel workbook for plant managers, lean coordinators and team leaders who audit their areas every month and need to show whether 5S is sticking. It ships with six months of example audits for a fictional sheet-metal fabricator with six areas, and the actions those audits raised, so the dashboard and charts are populated the moment you open it; replace the example rows with your own and everything recalculates.

The Checklist sheet holds 25 criteria, five for each of Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain, each with a plain description of what a top score looks like. The auditor scores each criterion from 0 (not started) to 4 (sustained) on the printed walk sheet and types the five subtotals into the Audit Log. Each audit's score is points earned over points possible, so if you add criteria or change the scale the maximum follows and scores stay comparable. A status column compares every audit with the target you set; the workbook assumes no industry benchmark.

Findings go on the Actions log with an owner and a due date. Against a status date you type, each action shows days open and Complete, Overdue, Due soon or In progress, so the review starts with what is late. The Dashboard shows the plant score by month, a radar of the five S for the first and latest month, the latest score and open actions for each area, and an area by month map. Floor space released by Sort actions is valued at your facility cost per unit area per year, the same formula as the Floor Space Cost Calculator's annual space cost.

What this template includes

Checklist sheet with 25 criteria, five for each S, each with what a top score looks like, ready to print as the auditor's walk sheet and to edit to your own areas
Audit Log table: one row per area audit with the five section subtotals, giving total points, score against the maximum, a status in words against your target and the actions raised
Actions log that follows each finding from raised to closed: owner, due date, days open, a due status in words (Complete, Overdue, Due soon, In progress) against a status date you type, and whether it closed on time
Setup with your target, status date, points per criterion and the area list with owners; the maximum score for each S follows the checklist automatically
Floor space freed by Sort actions, valued at your facility cost per square metre or square foot per year (an estimate, labelled as one)
Dashboard with KPI tiles for the latest month's score, change, areas below target, weakest S, open and overdue actions and on-time closure
Four native charts: plant score by month against target, a radar of the five S for the first and latest month, latest score by area, and open actions by area
Area by month score map, by-area, by-S and monthly tables, a Method sheet with every formula and a Verify sheet that re-checks them (Self-check: PASS)

Suggested use case

Use it to run a monthly 5S audit programme across several areas: print the walk sheet, log each area's section scores, assign and chase the actions, and show the trend and the weakest S at the monthly review.

How to use it

On Setup, type your plant name, 5S score target, status date and points per criterion, then replace the example areas and owners with your own.
On Checklist, keep or edit the 25 criteria, then print the sheet as the walk sheet for each audit.
Walk the area, score each criterion from 0 to 4 against what a 4 looks like, and add the scores for each S.
On Audit Log, add one row per area audit with the date, area, auditor and the five section subtotals.
On Actions, add each finding with its S, owner and due date, and type the closed date (and any floor space freed) when it is done.
Before each review, set the status date on Setup and open the Dashboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the 5S audit score calculated?: Each criterion is scored 0 to 4, so 25 criteria give a maximum of 100 points and 20 points per S. An area that scores 15, 13, 11, 9 and 8 has 56 of 100 points, a 56.0 percent score. The plant score for a month is the sum of that month's totals over the number of audits times 100, so every audit weighs the same.
What should the 5S score target be?: Set your own. The workbook ships with 80 percent as an example and marks an audit Near target within 5 percent below it, so 76 to 80 percent against an 80 percent target. Many plants start lower and raise the target once areas hold their scores for a few months; there is no published standard target.
Can I use my own 5S checklist or a 0 to 5 scale?: Yes. Edit the criteria on the Checklist sheet and set the points per criterion on Setup. With four criteria per S scored 0 to 5, each S has a maximum of 20 and the audit 100, and the Check column flags any section subtotal above its maximum.
Why score each S separately?: Because the average hides the pattern. In the example the plant reaches about 70 percent by September, but Sustain is still the weakest S at well under the Sort score. The radar chart shows the five S for the first and latest month, so you can see which ones moved and which did not.
How are overdue actions counted?: Against the status date you type on Setup, not today's date, so the file never changes by itself. An open action due on 25 September is Overdue at a 2 October status date; one due on 7 October is Due soon with a 7-day window; a closed action is Complete and counts as on time if it closed by its due date.
How is the value of floor space freed estimated?: Space freed by closed Sort actions times your facility cost per unit area per year. Freeing 24 square metres at 95 per square metre per year is worth about 2,280 a year of space now available for other use. It is an estimate of occupancy cost, not a cash saving, unless you use or give up the space.