When you think about it, five s and kanban are nothing new. The precursor of these manufacturing concepts were being used in agricultural environments even before the industrial age. This is one reason why both these modern manufacturing methodologies have simple rules and tenets. Their concepts are very simple and can be used in almost any manufacturing environment. For instance, in a pre-industrial setting, packing produce is very much intertwined with the manufacture of baskets. The basket weavers were practically neighbors to the orchard pickers. During the harvest season, if there harvest is going to need more baskets, it is easy enough to order additional baskets from the weavers. These then would be delivered just in time for use in the orchard. This simplistic example of a kanban implementation scenario can be scaled to any of a number of manufacturing or products in a pre-industrial economy.
Another example could be made for drying and curing meats and fishes, or for storing fruits and vegetables. In a tightly knit economy, there are specialist roles in manufacturing, like the above mentioned basket weaver. But the rest of the workforce can also pitch in to work on weaving baskets as it is considered a basic skill. These non-specialist chores can be called upon to augment whatever task needs to be done at any given moment. With regular demand, the basket weaver does not need additional hands to work on the baskets. When the demand is high, anybody who is free can assist in making baskets.
The Five S methodology is even more at home in a pre-industrial society. With simple and basic concepts which emphasize a clean work space, and a focused and disciplined work ethic, five s is well-suited to agricultural endeavors and their tasks. It is not uncommon for the artisan to clean the workshop before and after work.
