hoshinkanri

name	Hoshinkanri
description	Strategic policy deployment system for automotive manufacturing. Cascades Group-level targets to shop floor through X-Matrix, catchball process, and bowling chart tracking. USE WHEN user says 'hoshin', 'x-matrix', 'catchball', 'bowling chart', 'strategy deployment', 'cascade objectives', 'breakthrough objectives', 'strategic planning', 'policy deployment', or requests help with annual planning integration. Integrates with IATF 16949 quality systems and AutomotiveManufacturing skill for work instruction cascade.
effort	high

Hoshin Kanri - Strategic Policy Deployment

When to Activate This Skill

• "Create an X-Matrix for [objective]"
• "Help me cascade [Group target] to departments"
• "Set up bowling chart for [KPI]"
• "Prepare catchball documentation"
• "Monthly Hoshin review template"
• "A3 problem solving for red objective"
• "Integrate Hoshin with our quality objectives"

Core Concepts

The Hoshin Kanri System

VISION (3-5 Year)
      |
      v
BREAKTHROUGH OBJECTIVES (Annual)
      |
      v (Catchball)
ANNUAL OBJECTIVES (Departmental)
      |
      v (Catchball)
IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES (Projects/Initiatives)
      |
      v
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (Metrics)
      |
      v
DAILY MANAGEMENT (Shop Floor Execution)

X-Matrix Structure

The X-Matrix connects strategy to execution on a single page:

                    ANNUAL OBJECTIVES (North)
                    [What we must achieve this year]
                            |
    +-----------------------+------------------------+
    |                       |                        |
BREAKTHROUGH           CORRELATION            IMPROVEMENT
OBJECTIVES             MATRIX                 PRIORITIES
(West)                 (Center)               (East)
[3-5 year goals]       [Relationships]        [Projects/Initiatives]
    |                       |                        |
    +-----------------------+------------------------+
                            |
                    TARGETS/KPIs (South)
                    [How we measure success]

Correlation Symbols:

• Strong correlation (primary driver)
• Moderate correlation (supporting)
• Weak correlation (indirect impact)

The Catchball Process

Definition: Bidirectional negotiation ensuring alignment and buy-in across levels.

NOT: Top-down directives presented for rubber-stamp approval.

Process:

1. Leadership proposes breakthrough objectives
2. Next level reviews against capabilities and constraints
3. Counter-proposals and adjustments made
4. Iterate until consensus reached
5. Document agreements and accountabilities
6. Repeat cascade to next level

Key Questions at Each Level:

• "Is this achievable with our current resources?"
• "What obstacles do you foresee?"
• "What support do you need?"
• "What can you commit to?"

Bowling Chart Tracking

Purpose: Visual monthly tracking of Hoshin objectives

Structure:

OBJECTIVE: [Name]
OWNER: [Named Person - NOT department]
+-------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | YTD |
+-------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Target| X.X | X.X | X.X | X.X | X.X | X.X | X.X |
| Actual| X.X | X.X | X.X |     |     |     | X.X |
| Status| G/Y | G/Y | R/Y |     |     |     | R/Y |
+-------+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+

Status Colors:

• GREEN: On or ahead of target
• YELLOW: Within acceptable variance (define %)
• RED: Behind target - requires A3

---

Review Cadence (Aligned with Q2/Q3 Group Cycle)

Timing	Activity	Template
Q2-Q3	Annual Hoshin Planning	templates/annual-planning.md
Q4	Department Cascade	templates/catchball-record.md
Monthly	Bowling Chart Review	templates/monthly-review.md
Quarterly	Formal Hoshin Review	templates/quarterly-review.md
As Needed	A3 Problem Solving	templates/a3-template.md

---

Integration Points

With IATF 16949

IATF Clause	Hoshin Element
5.1 Leadership	X-Matrix ownership
6.1 Planning	Risk-based objectives
6.2 Quality Objectives	Hoshin targets
9.3 Management Review	Monthly/Quarterly reviews
10.3 Improvement	PDCA/A3 countermeasures

With AutomotiveManufacturing Skill

Hoshin objectives cascade to:

• PFMEA priority updates
• Control Plan revisions
• Work Instruction updates

---

Common Failure Modes to Avoid

1. Too Many Objectives - Limit to 3-5 breakthrough goals
2. Department Ownership - Assign to named INDIVIDUALS
3. Skipping Catchball - True dialogue, not rubber-stamping
4. Ceremonial Reviews - Problem-solve, don't just report
5. No Daily Connection - Link to shop floor management
6. Leadership Drift - Sustained executive engagement required

---

Templates Available

Template	Purpose	Location
X-Matrix	Strategy visualization	templates/x-matrix.md
Catchball Record	Document negotiations	templates/catchball-record.md
Bowling Chart	Monthly tracking	templates/bowling-chart.md
Monthly Review	Meeting agenda	templates/monthly-review.md
A3 Template	Problem solving	templates/a3-template.md
Annual Planning	Year kickoff	templates/annual-planning.md
X-Matrix Excel	Spreadsheet format	templates/x-matrix-excel.md
PowerPoint Ready	Presentation content	templates/hoshin-powerpoint.md

---

Quick Reference

Cascade Translation Example

Group Target: 8% BOM Cost Reduction

Level	Objective	Owner	KPI
Division	8% BOM reduction	Division Lead	Total BOM variance
Engineering	4 VA/VE projects	Eng. Manager	Savings per project
Procurement	Supplier consolidation	Proc. Manager	PPV improvement
Manufacturing	Scrap reduction	Prod. Manager	Scrap %
Shop Floor	First-pass yield	Line Lead	FPY %

Review Meeting Structure (30-45 min)

1. Review bowling charts (15 min)

   • Green: Acknowledge, move on
   • Yellow: Brief discussion, monitor
   • Red: Assign A3, set deadline

2. A3 updates (15 min)

   • Progress on active countermeasures
   • New issues surfaced

3. Decisions needed (10 min)

   • Resource requests
   • Escalations
   • Target adjustments

4. Action items (5 min)

   • Capture, assign, date

---

Key Principles

1. Vital Few - Focus on breakthrough, not incremental
2. Catchball - Alignment through dialogue
3. PDCA - Plan-Do-Check-Act at every level
4. Visual Management - X-Matrix, bowling charts visible
5. Named Owners - Individual accountability
6. Regular Cadence - Monthly reviews non-negotiable
7. A3 Discipline - Structured problem-solving for red items

---

Examples

Example 1 — Create an X-Matrix for a cost reduction target:

"Create an X-Matrix for our 8% BOM cost reduction goal" → Builds a one-page X-Matrix linking the breakthrough objective (8% BOM reduction) to annual department objectives, improvement projects (VA/VE, supplier consolidation, scrap reduction), and KPIs (PPV, FPY, scrap %).

Example 2 — Set up catchball documentation:

"Prepare catchball documentation for cascading the quality objective to departments" → Generates a catchball record template capturing the proposed objective, departmental counter-proposals, agreed commitments, and named owners at each level.

Example 3 — Monthly bowling chart review:

"Set up a bowling chart for tracking OEE improvement" → Creates a monthly tracking sheet with target/actual/status rows per month, RAG status logic, and automatic A3 trigger for any RED month.

Example 4 — Annual Hoshin planning kickoff:

"We need to start our annual Hoshin planning — Group targets just came down" → Guides through the full annual planning sequence: review prior year results, confirm breakthrough objectives from Group, run catchball process, populate X-Matrix, set bowling chart baselines.

---

Workflow Routing

Trigger	Workflow	Output
"X-Matrix", "create X-Matrix"	Build X-Matrix	One-page strategy visualization
"catchball", "cascade objectives"	Catchball process	Negotiation record with commitments
"bowling chart", "track KPI"	Bowling chart setup	Monthly tracking sheet with RAG
"monthly review", "hoshin review"	Review meeting	Agenda + A3 trigger list
"A3", "red objective", "countermeasure"	A3 problem solving	Structured A3 document
"annual planning", "hoshin kickoff"	Annual planning	Full planning sequence
"integrate", "IATF", "quality objectives"	Integration mapping	Hoshin ↔ IATF 16949 clause map

---

Extended Context

For comprehensive methodologies and detailed guidance: read ~/.claude/skills/HoshinKanri/CLAUDE.md

For templates: ls ~/.claude/skills/HoshinKanri/templates/