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Translations of this Japanese phrase vary widely; its most accurate expression
appears to be "HoShin Kanri," which may be translated approximately to "control
of direction" ("ho" – "method"; "shin" – "compass"; and "kanri" – "control").
"Hoshin Kanri" is a method of strategic planning that focuses on "vertical
alignment" – i.e., ensuring that the business's vision, objectives, performance
standards, and review processes are communicated thoroughly to and understood
by all members of an organization, from top to bottom, via the constant
repetition of a four-stage process: 1) defining and establishing a specific,
limited number of policy and strategic objectives that will further the
business's mission; 2) "deployment" of (i.e., communication and setting into
motion of) these objectives throughout all levels of the corporate hierarchy;
3) implementation of the objectives and the changes they require, by making
them an integral part of daily activities; and 4) review of performance and
results; each of these steps occurs both up and down the corporate hierarachy,
in a continuous process of input/refinement/feedback traded among all employees
at all levels, known as "catchball." In the West, often called "hoshin
planning" or "QPD" (quality policy deployment"),
although some experts regard "hoshin kanri" as referring to the combination of
both long-range "hoshin planning" and its dailycounterpart, known as "nijiro
kanri."
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