5S Game
• This is a quick and fun game that you can play with
your team or new team members
• It shows in an interactive way, the benefits of putting
things in the right place and in a consistent manner
• The attached pages includes the resources necessary
to play the game and to aid learning
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
5S Game
The “Numbers Game” is an exercise
that illustrates the power of 5s.
The game consists of 5 quick rounds.
You must not look at the sheets until
instructed and must finish when time
is up
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
5S Game – Instructions for facilitator page 1
(Do not share this slide with the group)
You can play this game with a small or large group. It should only take 15 – 20 minutes to play.
Prepare a flip chart with 8 columns. In the first column record the names of 4 or 5 members of the group. Number
the remaining columns ‘Round 1, Round 2 .. up to ‘Round 7’.
Have copies of each of the 7 sheets available for each participant, but these should be face down. Share the
contents of the first two slides and explain this should be fun but useful learning about the benefits of the 5S
approach.
Show the visual standard slide and explain how each number needs to be crossed out.
Give instructions for round 1 (Cross out 1-49 in order – You have 60 seconds). Tell then to turn over their sheets.
After 60 seconds ask 5 people to tell you what number they got to and record on the flip chart. Ask them why they
only they got as far as they did.
Before round 2 explain that we have got rid of the unwanted numbers (i.e. 50+). This is part of ‘Sorting’. They now
have 50 seconds. Ask them to turn over the sheet. At the end of 50 seconds, record the scores of the same 5
people and ask why they performed better. (Answers may include fewer numbers).
Before round 3 tell them that the numbers have now been ‘Set in Order’. Allow just 40 seconds for this round.
Turn over the sheets and go! Record the scores of the same 5 people (i.e. what number they got to) and ask what
affected their performance. Most will realise that there is an order (1,2,3 etc. rise vertically from the bottom left
box). However this order is not immediately obvious to everyone.
Before round 4 say you have set the order to make it more obvious. Only 20 seconds this time. Turn over sheet
and go. Record the number completed for the same 5 people. Ask about quality of the crossing out. Because the
numbers are all different, it is likely that the strokes are not consistent with the quality standard. Many could be
rejected!
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
5S Game – Instructions for facilitator page 2
(Do not share this slide with the group)
Before round 5 explain you have now applied ‘Standardisation’. Just 20 seconds again. Turn over page and go!
Record score but discuss quality of crosses with the group. Standardisation should have made the quality
standard easier to attain.
There are two more rounds to play.
Before round 6 just say they have 60 seconds to find the missing numbers. Turn over page and go! Ask them
what numbers they identified as missing and how easy was it?
Before round 7 explain that we have sorted and set in order. They have just 5 seconds to identify the missing
numbers. Turn over sheet and go! Ask if they all managed it? Why? The information is so clear and obvious
that anyone would be able to immediately identify what was missing.
This game could be played with a team to help develop understanding about these ideas, just before you plan to
apply the principles to an area of the ward. It may lead to a wider discussion about improvement ideas for the
ward. Try to capture these. Use the game with successive groups of staff as they get involved with the ‘Well
Organised ward’ module.
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
Visual Standard
13
end
13
start
= Reject
= OK
13
•Cross out numbers in sequence from 1 – 49 with a diagonal
line as illustrated – bottom left to top right
•Do not turn over the sheet until instructed
•Do not rotate sheet of paper © NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
The Current
‘Workplace’
ROUND 1
Time to allowed : 60 seconds
66
39
75
38
6
85
21
69
60
79
72
15
54
78
59
37
73
28
23
41
64
76
86
9
45
29
11
55
Goal: Cross out the numbers 1- 49 in order
77
67
17
16
31
49
53
4
58
62
26
52
80
34
61
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
ROUND 2 - sort
Time to allowed : 50 seconds
Goal: Cross out the numbers 1- 49 in order
6
15
9
45
39
21
38
29
23
41
11
37
28
49
31
4
17
26
16
34
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
ROUND 3 – set in order
Time to allowed : 40 seconds
Goal: Cross out the numbers 1- 49 in order
6
15
9
45
39
21
38
29
23
41
11
37
28
49
31
4
17
26
16
34
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
ROUND 4 – set in order
Time to allowed : 20 seconds
Goal: Cross out the numbers 1- 49 in order
Numbers from 1 to 49
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
ROUND 5 – set in order/with standardization
Time to allowed : 20 seconds
Goal: Cross out the numbers 1- 49 in order
Numbers from 1 to 49
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
ROUND 6
Goal: Identify missing numbers
Time: 60 seconds
66
39
75
38
6
85
69
21
72
15
9
45
60
79
54
29
78
53
23
11
59
37
64
73
55
28
17
77
76
86
31
49
67
4
58
16
62
26
52
80
34
61
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement
ROUND 7 – sort and set in order
Time: 5 seconds
Goal: Identify missing numbers
Numbers from 1 to 49
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
40
8
9
19
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement