The Hoshin Kanri approach plays an important role in CFS’ success

CFS works with world-class, lean manufacturing, production, and management systems.

Custom Foam Systems Ltd. (CFS) manufactures and supplies customized foam components with world-class, lean manufacturing, production, and management systems. The company has modelled these systems after two corporate philosophies: the Toyota production system, and the Hoshin Kanri approach to operations. The latter is a method of managing or deploying strategic direction to help ensure that all employees understand that they are all working as a team in an identical direction to improve the chances of success in accomplishing goals.

Based on a deployment process

The Japanese term Hoshin Kanri is a combination of the words for “method” (ho), “shiny needle or compass” (shin), and “management” (kanri). It stands for a seven-step strategic planning system that was developed in post-WWII Japan, a direction and alignment concept based on a deployment process in which all workers’ roles must be clear to them, to allow them to play their part in helping the whole team succeed. Realizing this clarity results in more efficiency and less waste. The organization must uphold this discipline with the utmost seriousness and responsibility. Through this unique management theory, the CFS team thoroughly understands all expectations for output, quality, safety, and delivery.

Hoshin Kanri has numerous facets. In manufacturing, it serves as a process strategy for driving improvement in production and management. In these areas, activities are broken into two categories to help define how they can be accomplished at every level: business fundamentals, which include all processes required to meet current client needs; and breakthrough activities, or necessary actions to meet plans for growth, change, and technology.

A business must succeed in both fundamentals and breakthrough activities to prevail. Imagine a manufacturer of buggy whips in the 19th Century, one that was excellent at fulfilling business fundamentals by providing these products to customers with great service. If such company did not prepare for the invention of the automobile on the horizon, it would fail in its breakthrough activities.

Through the Hoshin Kanri method of role clarity, CFS aligns its team in one direction towards a common goal, eliminating all waste and solving problems.

For more information, contact CFS.

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