5S audit checklist online
Audit a work area against the five S: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. Score 26 items from 0 to 4, see the result for each S as a percentage, record findings with an owner and a due date, and download a PDF report.
5S is the base of standard work and visual management. Regular audits show where a tidy workplace slips back into old habits and give the teams a number they can improve.
How it works in 4 steps: 5S Audit
- 1 · Walk26 itemsSort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain
- 2 · Score0 to 4 pointsper item, with notes and photos
- 3 · Compare86 % overallscore of each S, weakest S first
- 4 · Act4 findingsowner and due date, PDF report
How the 5S Audit works
Enter the area, the auditor and the date, then walk the area and score each item. Items with 2 points or less open fields for the finding, the action, the owner and the due date. The checklist can be edited and you can add your own questions to each S.
The dashboard shows the overall 5S score and the score of each S as bars, so the weakest S is visible at once. Saved audits keep their open actions.
When to use it
Use the 5S audit for the regular walk of a production area, a warehouse, an office or a laboratory. Teams check their own area weekly with a short version, supervisors and quality engineers audit monthly or quarterly, and a new area gets a baseline audit before the 5S programme starts.
A low Sustain score with good Sort and Shine scores is the typical picture of a one-off clean-up that was not turned into a habit. Repeated findings on the same item point to a missing standard or missing responsibility.
Keep the checklist and the scoring rules the same from audit to audit, so the scores are comparable. The questions are our own wording and can be adapted to your plant.
PDF report in one click
Generate the 5S audit as a PDF with your header and logo, the score by S, the findings with actions and the full checklist, with a signature line for auditor and area owner.
Private: everything runs in your browser
Audits and photos are stored in your browser only and never uploaded.
How to run a 5S audit
- Choose the area and tell the team beforehand. A 5S audit is about the workplace, not about people.
- Walk the area in the order of the five S. Look, open drawers and cabinets, check the floor and the edges, and talk to the people who work there.
- Score each item from 0 to 4 and note what you saw. Take photos of the best and worst spots.
- Agree on actions for items with 2 points or less: an owner, a due date and a way to see that it is done.
- Share the result in the area, ideally with the score trend, so the team can see the progress.
The five S in short
| S | Meaning | Typical question |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sort (Seiri) | Remove what is not needed | Is there anything here that is not used for the current work? |
| 2 Set in order (Seiton) | A place for everything | Can anyone find any tool in 30 seconds and see if it is missing? |
| 3 Shine (Seiso) | Clean and inspect | Is the area clean and are leaks and dirt sources being removed? |
| 4 Standardize (Seiketsu) | Make it the common rule | Do markings, labels and responsibilities follow one standard? |
| 5 Sustain (Shitsuke) | Keep the habit | Are checks done without an audit and are findings closed? |
Scoring
Every item is rated 0 to 4: 4 means fully in place and sustained, 3 mostly in place with small gaps, 2 partly in place, 1 just started and 0 not done. Items with 2 points or less are findings and need an action. The score of each S shows where the area is weakest. Sustain is usually the lowest, because it needs management attention and time.
Where 5S fits in quality management
5S is the base of standard work and visual management. A tidy, well marked workplace makes errors visible, supports the controls in the control plan and prepares the area for a layered process audit. It is often part of IATF 16949 and ISO 9001 audits as evidence of a suitable work environment. Rank your findings with a Pareto chart and track repeats with the CAPA and NCR tracker.
Frequently asked questions
›What is a 5S audit?
A 5S audit checks how well a work area follows the five S steps: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. The auditor walks the area, rates each item and records findings with actions. The result is a score that can be compared between areas and over time.
›What do the 5 S stand for?
Sort (Seiri) removes what is not needed. Set in order (Seiton) gives every item a marked place. Shine (Seiso) cleans and inspects. Standardize (Seiketsu) makes the rules visual and common. Sustain (Shitsuke) keeps the habit alive with checks, training and management attention.
›How is the 5S score calculated?
Each item gets 0 to 4 points: 0 not done, 1 just started, 2 partly in place, 3 mostly in place, 4 fully in place and sustained. The score of each S is the points reached in percent of the maximum, and the overall score is the same over all rated items. Items marked N/A are left out.
›What is a good 5S score?
Many companies treat 85 % and more as good and below 70 % as a clear need for action, but your own target matters more than a universal limit. Use the same checklist and the same auditors’ rules each time, so scores are comparable.
›How often should a 5S audit be done?
Teams check their own area daily or weekly in a few minutes. A cross-functional audit by a supervisor, a quality engineer or another team happens monthly or quarterly. An outsider notices things the team no longer sees.
›Can I change the questions?
Yes. Click “Edit checklist” to rewrite, add or remove questions, or add your own question under each S. The changed checklist is saved with the audit in your browser.