In the new book “Using Hoshin Kanri to Improve the Value Stream”, leading quality expert Elizabeth Cudney constructs a complete how-to guide that any organization can employ to start a Lean effort correctly and keep it on track. Rooted in practical examples garnered over years of hand-on practice, she illustrates the key principles of lean and value and then shows how to put them to work.
Cudney points out that organizations often fail at improvement because they go after symptomatic problems rather than the faulty system-wide processes at the root of those problems. She shows how to avoid this common misstep by using value stream mapping to create a current-state map. Done properly, this map will help everyone in an organization understand just how they deliver value to customers and where flawed processes cause them to fall short.
The next step is to create a future-state map that defines best processes. While that may seem easy, reaching the goals of future-state maps requires a highly disciplined effort. At this point, Hoshin Kanri – the art of policy deployment – can make a crucial impact. Hoshin Kanri encourages a systems approach that focuses on the long-term strategy of an organization. As much as defining a methodology, it inspires a positive mindset within your organization by starting with improvements that affect flow across the entire organization. In addition to improving the delivery of value, changes with broad impact will catch people’s attention, encourage their involvement and increase the momentum of improvement.
Chapter by chapter, this book defines the key tools, such as Six Sigma, 5-S and mistake-proofing, that an organization can employ to initiate needed process improvements.
Using Hoshin Kanri to Improve the Value Stream …
· Uses the strategic long-term vision of the organization to prioritize the continuous improvement efforts
· Combines two distinct lean tools – value stream mapping and Hoshin Kanri (policy deployment)
· Presents a unique and effective way of creating the future state of the value stream map
About the author
Elizabeth A. Cudney is currently an Assistant Professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo. She teaches Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma, and Quality Philosophies and Methods. Beth worked for seven years in the automotive industry in various roles including Six Sigma Black Belt, Quality/Process Engineer, Quality Auditor, Senior Manufacturing Engineer and Manufacturing Manager. Beth received the 2007 ASQ A.V. Feigenbaum Medal and the 2006 SME Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineering Award. Beth is an ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt, Certified Quality Engineer, Manager of Quality/Operational Excellence, Certified Quality Inspector, and Certified Quality Improvement Associate. Beth received her B.S. in Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University. She received her Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with a Manufacturing Specialization and Master of Business Administration from the University of Hartford, and her doctorate in Engineering Management from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
