Lean manufacturing · Kaizen
The PDCA cycle: the order behind Kaizen
Plan, do, check, act. Where each step of the cycle sits in an improvement record.
13 October 2026 · 1 min
Hoshin Kanri and the X-matrix: bringing strategy to the floor
From long-term goals to annual goals, then to projects and indicators. The four arms of the X-matrix and how to read it.
10 October 2026 · 1 min read
Hoshin Kanri deploys a company's few main goals through every layer in the same direction. The aim is for everyone to know which goal their work serves.
The four arms of the X-matrix
- Long-term goals (3–5 years).
- Annual goals.
- Priority projects and improvements.
- Indicators and target values.
Relationship grids at the corners mark which project serves which annual goal and which indicator tracks which project. A project or goal nobody is linked to stands out at once.
Follow-up
Indicators are tracked on scorecards; when they drift, a countermeasure action is opened. At the annual review the matrix is rebuilt.
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