5S audit checklist: questions, scoring and a template

A 5S audit checklist is a short list of questions for checking a work area against the five steps of 5S. The steps are sort, set in order, shine, standardize and sustain. Each question gets a score, and the scores show where the area has slipped.

This guide gives a full manufacturing checklist and a shorter office version, then shows how to run the audit walk. You can copy the questions into your own 5S audit form.

Key takeaways

A 5S audit scores an area against five questions per S, so the result is comparable over time.

Audit every area on a regular rhythm, and have people from outside the area do some of the audits.

Findings only matter if each one gets an owner and a due date.

An audit that produces only a score is box-ticking, so the follow-up is the real work.

What is a 5S audit?

A 5S audit is a structured walk through a work area to check how well the 5S standard is being kept. It compares what you see with what the standard says you should see.

The 5S method comes from the Toyota Production System. The audit is how you find out whether the gains are holding or fading.

You may also see it called a 5S audit check sheet, a 5S audit form or a 5S audit template. They all do the same job: record observations in a consistent way.

How often should you run a 5S audit, and who should do it?

Teams often audit monthly, with a quick weekly self-check by the area team. The right rhythm is the one you can keep, so start lighter and add frequency later.

Have the area's own team run the weekly check. For the monthly audit, bring in someone from a different area, because fresh eyes spot what locals have stopped seeing.

A supervisor or manager should join occasionally. Their presence shows that 5S matters, but they should not be the only auditor.

How does 5S audit scoring work?

Each question is scored on a short scale, and the scores add up to a total per S and per area. Two common scales are 0 to 4 and 1 to 5.

Say you use 0 to 4. A 0 means the practice is absent and a 2 means it is partly in place. A 4 means it is fully in place and sustained.

With five questions per S and a maximum score of 4, each S has a maximum of 20. Across all five S, the maximum is 100, which makes a percentage easy to read.

These numbers are illustrative. Write a short description for each score level so two auditors give the same answer.

5S audit checklist for manufacturing: five questions per S

Sort: Are only the items needed for today's work in the area?

Sort: Are unneeded items, such as old tooling, obsolete parts and personal clutter, removed or red-tagged?

Sort: Are tools, materials and documents in the area limited to the quantities the work needs?

Sort: Is there a clear holding area for items waiting to be decided on or removed?

Sort: Are cabinets, drawers and shelves free of items nobody can explain?

Set in order: Does every tool, material and container have a marked home?

Set in order: Are the most-used items stored closest to where they are used?

Set in order: Do labels, outlines or shadow boards make it obvious when something is missing?

Set in order: Are aisles, walkways and storage locations clearly marked and kept clear?

Set in order: Can a new person find any item within about a minute?

Shine: Are floors, machines and benches clean, with no oil, dust or swarf building up?

Shine: Are cleaning tools stored at the point of use and easy to reach?

Shine: Is cleaning treated as inspection, so leaks, cracks and loose parts are reported?

Shine: Is lighting adequate, with bulbs and guards in working order?

Shine: Are bins emptied and waste sorted according to the standard?

Standardize: Is a visual standard, such as a photo of the ideal state, posted in the area?

Standardize: Are cleaning and checking tasks listed with who does them and when?

Standardize: Are color codes, labels and markings the same across similar areas?

Standardize: Do team members know the 5S standard and can they explain it?

Standardize: Is the standard kept current when the layout or process changes?

Sustain: Are the last audit's findings closed, or on track to close by their due date?

Sustain: Is the 5S routine part of the daily schedule, with time set aside for it?

Sustain: Do team leaders check the area during their normal rounds?

Sustain: Are audit scores displayed where the team can see the trend?

Sustain: Do team members suggest 5S improvements, and are they acted on?

5S checklist for office: two questions per S

An office 5S checklist is shorter because offices have fewer physical tools. The focus shifts to desks, shared drives, files and supplies.

Sort: Are only current documents, supplies and equipment on the desk and in the drawers?

Sort: Are old files, duplicate paperwork and outdated digital folders removed or archived?

Set in order: Does every shared item, such as stationery, forms and equipment, have a labeled place?

Set in order: Are digital files named and stored by a shared structure that anyone can follow?

Shine: Are desks, shared areas and screens clean and free of clutter at the end of the day?

Shine: Are issues such as broken chairs or faulty equipment reported and fixed?

Standardize: Is there a simple, shared standard for desk setup, file naming and shared spaces?

Standardize: Do new starters learn the standard in their first week?

Sustain: Is a short 5S check part of the weekly routine?

Sustain: Are findings from the last check closed on time?

How to run the 5S audit walk, step by step

First, agree the route and the checklist before you start. Tell the area team when you are coming, and make clear the audit is about the area, not about individuals.

Second, walk the area in the same order each time, such as clockwise from the entrance. Scan the whole area first, then check each question.

Third, score each question as you go, and write one line of evidence for any score below 4. A note such as "no label on shelf 3" is more useful than a bare number.

Fourth, take photos of both good practice and problems. Photos make the debrief concrete and let you compare against the next audit.

Fifth, hold a short debrief with the area team at the end. Share the score, point out what is working, and agree on the findings together.

The walk is similar in spirit to a gemba walk, where you go and see before you judge.

What do you do with 5S audit findings?

Turn every finding into an action with one owner and one due date. A finding without an owner will still be there at the next audit.

Sort the actions by effort. Quick fixes, such as adding a missing label, should close within days. Larger items, such as a new storage rack, go on a short action list.

Look at causes, not just symptoms. If the same bench is untidy every month, there may be too few storage spots. That points to a standard work or layout fix.

Post the results where the team can see them. Charts and photos on the wall are part of visual management, and they keep the area owners in the loop.

How do you stop 5S audits becoming a box-ticking exercise?

Make the audit about learning rather than scoring. If people fear the score, they will tidy for the audit and slip back afterwards.

Rotate auditors and vary the questions. When the same person asks the same questions in the same order, the walk becomes automatic.

Ask the team what makes 5S hard in their area. Their answers often point to causes such as missing storage, unclear ownership or too little time.

Link the audit to improvement. The 5S and kaizen guide shows how audit findings can feed small, continuous changes.

For a wider view on keeping the habit alive, see building a 5S program that lasts. Software can also help: the 5S audit software category covers tools for mobile checklists and action tracking.

Frequently asked questions