A great height adjustable desk can still underperform if the station is cluttered, cables dangle, or no one knows where the headset lives. That is where 5S—Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, Sustain—pays off. Applied to a standing desk fleet, 5S prevents snags, speeds turnover, and keeps every workstation ergonomic day after day. This guide turns lean principles into concrete moves for sit-stand stations so your floor stays quiet, tidy, and easy to support.

Why 5S belongs at a desk (not just a line)

• Reliability: A consistent underside layout and labeled cables cure flicker on lift, false anti-collision stops, and “won’t move” calls that sabotage adoption.

• Speed: Visual cues cut seconds from every setup and reset. That matters in hot-desking, reception, and 24/7 teams.

• Ergonomics: Clear paths and labeled presets make it easy to hit neutral posture—elbows near 90 degrees, top third of the screen at or slightly below eye level—without hunting.

Sort (remove what does not serve the task)

• Surface sweep: Pull everything off the top. Only return what you use daily for the role—display(s), dock, headset, scanner, or pad. Move the dock under the top or into a rear tray; a clean surface protects posture and focus.

• Under-desk audit: Toss loose zip ties, dead chargers, and extra bricks. House every necessary brick in the cable tray; recycle or bin the rest.

• Cable purge: Replace overlong, under-spec runs. Certified DP 1.4/HDMI 2.0/2.1 at the right length and an e‑marked 5A/100 W USB‑C PD lead beat a 3‑meter mystery cable every time.

Set in order (a place for everything that moves with the desk)

• The backbone pattern (don’t deviate):

• Rear cable tray: Mount parallel to the back edge; fix a surge-protected strip inside. AC on the left, low-voltage on the right. Strap every brick.

• One power drop: Route a single trunk through a vertical cable chain to a floor box or spine. No tails across aisles; no daisy-chained strips.

• Service loops: Leave small slack loops at monitor arm pivots and at the control box so nothing goes taut at full extension.

• Shadow cues and labels:

• Shadow outline inside the tray for the surge strip and bricks. If a brick is missing, you see it.

• Two-end labels—“Left DP,” “Dock PD,” “LAN,” “Controller”—survive wipe-downs and swaps.

• Controller and tool homes:

• Mount the desk controller at the front edge, dominant side. Add small “A/B/C/D” preset labels for shared seats.

• Add a headset hook under the rear corner; add a perch or mat hook so nothing encroaches on the aisle.

Shine (clean and inspect—mechanics included)

• Weekly wipe: Tops (HPL or sealed wood) and controller face; dust the tray; check the chain’s S‑curve at sit and stand. A clean station reveals frayed or pinched lines before they fail.

• Fastener touch: Retorque the keypad bracket; confirm the tray screws are snug; re-seat any brick straps that loosened.

• Column care: Wipe lifting column exteriors with a dry microfiber cloth. Do not lubricate unless the manufacturer specifies—oil draws dust and adds friction.

• Level check: With the desk at the standing preset, gently rock corners and adjust levelers until all feet bear weight evenly. Seated-level hides slope; standing-level reveals it.

Standardize (lock the “golden build”)

• Underside photos: Two photos (left/right) per model show control box placement, tray position, chain routing, AC/data lanes, and label style. Installers and techs replicate pictures faster than text.

• Preset policy: Every station saves Sit and Stand on day one; shared stations label A/B/C/D targeting short/tall ranges. Presets reduce motor time and thermal load and make posture changes effortless.

• Quick-start card: At the front edge—Save presets, top-third-at-eye-line cue, reset steps (hold Down to the lowest mechanical stop), lock/unlock behavior (child lock or hold-to-move in public/family areas).

• Bill of materials: Frame (dual motors, three-stage lifting columns, reinforced crossbar, long feet), tray size, chain length, surge strip model, certified cable SKUs. One BOM across sites avoids drift.

Sustain (make it a habit, not a cleanup day)

• 5S cadence: A 10-minute 5S per pod weekly. Rotate ownership; track a simple checklist—tray cleaned, labels present, controller placement OK, chain S‑curve good at sit/stand, presets saved.

• Visual audit board: A one-page board in each area with the golden photos and the checklist. Red/yellow/green status makes gaps obvious and easy to fix.

• KPI loop: Monitor first-week tickets per 100 desks (noise, wobble, “won’t move,” flicker, cable snags). A disciplined 5S program keeps this near zero. Sample preset adoption (desks with ≥2 presets saved) as a quick health read.

5S playbooks by environment

• Hot-desking:

• Prominent QR for check-in on the front edge; controller presets labeled A/B/C/D; mat hook and headset hook consistent across seats.

• “Ready” status relies on NeedsClean toggle (sensor or staff) and a quick wipe. Golden build keeps cleaning fast.

• 24/7 floors:

• Shift cards include a 60-second tune: check presets, chain curve, tray straps; run a reset if the desk “feels off.”

• Spare kit per 50 desks (control box, desk controller, lifting column). “Swap, don’t debug” keeps service interruptions out of the queue.

• Maker or lab pods:

• Isolation pads and dense slab under 3D printers; ESD mat’s ground wire routed through a nearby grommet into the tray—labeled.

• Tool shadow boards mounted over a leg (not mid-span); keep the knee zone clean to avoid anti-collision trips.

Ergonomics as a visual standard

• Monitor arm alignment:

• Line markers or subtle dots on the post for common eye heights; a small “arm’s-length” sticker cue on the side screen frame helps new users gauge distance.

• Keyboard geometry:

• If the desktop is thick or users are short, standardize a keyboard tray with slight negative tilt; place the track outside crossbar clash zones.

• Foot posture:

• Optional foot rail under the desk (low bar) encourages micro-movements; add a small icon on the quick-start card to suggest stance changes.

Common 5S gaps (and fast fixes)

• Flicker on lift: Display cable tight at a monitor arm pivot. Fix with a service loop and a certified, shorter cable routed through a brush grommet.

• Random stops on the way down: Cable rubbing a lifting column or tray triggers anti-collision. Separate AC and data lanes, move the tray back a notch, rerun the reset.

• Buzz on lift: Brick tapping the tray or an unsecured surge strip. Strap bricks; add a thin EVA pad under the strip; retorque bracket screws.

• Wobble at full height: Retorque crossbar and feet in a star pattern; move arm clamps closer to a lifting column; add reinforcement plates under clamp zones; verify long feet match desktop depth.

• Controller hidden: Keypad mounted too far under the top. Remount at the front edge on the dominant side. If public, set hold-to-move and enable child lock.

A visual 5S checklist to paste into your SOP

• Sort: Only role-critical items on the surface; dead cables/chargers removed

• Set in order: Rear tray installed; surge strip fixed; AC/data lanes separated; bricks strapped; one vertical cable chain; service loops at pivots and control box; headset/mat hooks installed

• Shine: Top, controller, and tray wiped; columns dusted; level at standing height verified

• Standardize: Desk controller at front-edge dominant side; Sit/Stand presets saved and labels in shared seats; quick-start card posted; underside photos current

• Sustain: Weekly 10-minute 5S per pod; first-week tickets tracked; preset adoption sampled; spares stocked

5S turns “nice hardware” into a reliable, ergonomic system. A stable standing desk—dual motors, three-stage lifting columns, reinforced crossbar, long feet—paired with a golden underside build and simple visual cues will stay tidy, safe, and easy to use. Make one clean power drop, separate AC and data, strap every brick, and leave service loops where motion happens. Label presets and keep the desk controller in the same spot across seats. With those habits, your height adjustable desk fleet will move quietly, protect ports, and support real work—without the clutter.

• Explore height adjustable desks, rear cable trays, vertical cable chains, surge‑strip mounts, and visual management accessories for 5S at Venace: https://www.vvenace.com

• Contact us: tech@venace.com