Successful Hoshin Planning and Deployment

Hoshin Planning is a management methodology which aims to create strategic goals and insight for an organization. The main idea of Hoshin Planning is that the collective thinking power of all employees makes an organization the best in its field. The methodology is meant to help a company focus on a shared goal by communicating it to all leaders, involving all leaders in creating a plan to complete the goal and holding participants accountable for achieving their part of the plan.

Successful Hoshin strategies require coordination within the departments of the organization and the process owners. Each level in the organization has its own detailed responsibilities that play a part in meeting the organization’s main goal, so that everyone in the company is working together.

The Hoshin Process successfully fit into the Lean Management philosophy of MMTC client and Michigan manufacturer Venchurs, Inc. Venchurs provides a full range of supply chain management services for automotive, agriculture and construction Original Equipment Manufacturers. Their services include logistics, inventory management, order processing and more.

The Venchurs transactional Lean transformation included a strong use of metrics, robust standard work, quick changeover, visual management and communications, kaizen improvements and A3 reporting. The continuous improvement cycle of the Hoshin Process ensured that the team reviewed the plan’s goals, implementation and process.

Implementing the Hoshin Process into Venchurs’ operations allowed the company to improve their data gathering and communication. Sharing actionable data with employees at all levels allowed the Venchurs team to see where improvements were needed and to gauge the progress of their initiatives.