Whether you'll be traveling this summer for business or pleasure, you can apply the 5S principles - sort, straighten, sweep, standardize, sustain - to make for smoother sailing.

Sort: Sort whatever you need to pack into categories, such as clothing, shoes, toiletries, accessories, documents, medications, etc. Now look over your groups. Are there duplicates that you can eliminate? Can you pare down your clothing to make fewer articles do more work? Can you get by with one less pair of shoes?

Straighten: On the shop floor, you probably live by the mantra, "Everything has a place, everything in its place." Ditto when you  travel. Keep documents in the same place each trip. You'll always know exactly where to look for your confirmations and receipts. You'll save time and reduce some stress.

Sweep: Lay out everything you need to pack and then try to reduce it by a third. Be honest, how many trips have you taken for which you've overpacked? Clean out the excess.

Standardize: Create a checklist of what you've packed and keep it. Use it for future trips, refining it as needed. Keep a checklist for both personal and business items (files, passwords, cables, rechargers, etc.).

Sustain: Always refer to your checklist before you begin packing, and you'll be saving time with every trip you take. You're less likely to forget anything and will be on your way to a less stressful and enjoyable trip.