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One of MacArthur's first accomplishments was to develop the Civil Communication Section (CCS). The CSS was populated with notable American businessmen, engineers and scientists (including individuals such as Walter Shewhart and W. Edwards Deming), who were tasked with establishing and maintaining friendly and collaborative relationships with the Japanese people.
For example, during a two month period in June 1950, Deming trained hundreds of engineers, managers, and scholars. He also conducted a session for top management. Deming's lectures focused on three key areas: the use of the PDCA cycle, the importance of understanding the causes of variation, and process control through the use of control charts. But though engineers continued to push SQC, workers resisted, data collection techniques were inadequate, and top management did not show much interest. In 1954, Joseph M. Juran became involved in lecturing on management's role in promoting quality control activities. Juran's visit marked a turning point in Japan's quality maturity. They shifted from primarily dealing with technology to an overall concern for total quality management (History of Hoshin Kanri, 2014). From these events, tools such as Hoshin planning were developed and utilized.
Hoshin starts with a strategic plan (e.g. an annual plan) that is developed by top management to further the long range goals of the company. This plan should be carefully crafted to address a small number of critical issues. Key items to consider when developing the strategic plan are:.
1. Strategic Planning Limitations.
Strategic planning should not only place focus on both actions and decisions, it should also provide the ability to track results over a long period of time. A plan that allows for consistent yet easy reference will enhance employees' ability in staying on track with daily tasks critical towards meeting long term objectives. Though many types of strategic planning tools exist, all must overcome the conditions that detract from their success.