Hoshin Kanri and A3: a proposal for integrating variability into the policy deployment process

Lean thinking and strategy deployment: adapting Hoshin Kanri and A3-based project prioritization in police services

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a methodology to support public managers' adaptation of the Hoshin Kanri (HK) strategy deployment approach in the context of lean thinking (LT), considering strategic alignment and consensus reaching when prioritizing a vital few of the organization's continuous improvement (CI) projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology incorporates the A3 problem-solving report into the HK approach to identify and outline CI projects. The priority and deployment of the projects are weighted by a composite score for impact and innovation using the Delphi method. The proposed methodology was applied in one Norwegian police district as part of action research.

Findings

The obtained results indicate that the proposed methodology provides an intuitive and systematic approach to weigh the importance and ensure alignment of CI projects with the organization's strategy and goals. Consequently, this minimizes the possibility of strategy deployment priorities being weighted by decision bias and siloed decision-making.

Originality/value

The literature on strategy deployment in the context of LT in police services is significantly limited and this study aids in fixing this gap. The adapted HK approach can support the implementation of LT as an integral part of a comprehensive strategic management system, thereby enabling knowledge sharing and exploration of the extendibility of implemented best practices and improvement ideas to problems arising across the organization.

Hoshin Kanri Process: A Review and Bibliometric Analysis on the Connection of Theory and Practice

The review assesses the Hoshin Kanri process from the point of view of theory and practice implementations in different organizations. There are several adaptations of Hoshin Kanri and a wide range of tools used in each organization. This review aims to determine which and how companies have implemented the afore-mentioned methodology into their strategic management. The PRISMA statement was the framework for the present research. The structure for this study was obtained through a review of articles from two of the most important databases (Scopus and Web of Science). The review focuses on three parts: the theoretical basis of the methodology, a bibliometric overview of the selected articles, and practical insight into the implementation of Hoshin Kanri within the case-study organizations. Since the study’s purpose is to determine not only the companies where Hoshin Kanri was implemented but also the reasons and results of those implementations, therefore, 26 journal articles covering detailed implementations were selected.

Risk-based prioritization method for planning and allocation of resources in public sector

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a risk-based prioritization method (RBPM), using functional failure risk and strategic importance assessment, in order to support public managers' decision-making process for the planning and allocation of scarce resources.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology incorporates two assessment matrices into a management group’s decision-making process for resource allocation. As part of an action research strategy, the authors present the developed RBPM and its application in one Norwegian police district.

Findings

The RBPM provides a processual approach to detect risk of failures in the organization, which can facilitate better planning and allocation of resources, to mitigate risks from materializing and enhance performance. The results also indicate that the proposed assessment models provide an easier approach to consolidating different perspectives and weighting the strategic importance of disciplinary functions, when prioritizing the planning and allocation of scarce resources is necessary.

Research limitations/implications

The research is restricted in that it only considers one police district in Norway. Further limitation surrounds the issue of generalizability, as only one unit from the district is used. Further research should adapt and extend the developed RBPM in the district.

Practical implications

The RBPM may be of interest to public managers in the emergency sector operating with a large number of disciplinary functions in a highly dynamic and uncertain environment.

Originality/value

The RBPM applied in this study is based on approaches with advanced application in the oil and gas industry adapted to a contextually different environment which, in contrast, consists of functional hierarchies composed of human resources.

Lessons from mandated implementation of a performance management system

PURPOSE

Lean-inspired approaches and performance management systems are being implemented in public healthcare organisations internationally. However, the literature is inconclusive regarding the benefits of these management tools and there is a lack of knowledge regarding processes for large-scale implementation of these tools. This article aims to describe the implementation process and to better understand how this process influences the mandated performance management system.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This research is based on a comparative case study of three healthcare organisations in Canada. Data consist documents, non-participant observation and semi-structured interviews with key actors (n = 30). Analysis is based on a sociotechnical approach to management tools that considers organisational context, and the tool's technical substrate, theory of action and managerial philosophy.

FINDINGS

Results show that despite a standardised national mandate, the tool as implemented varied between organisations in terms of technical substrate and managerial philosophy. These variations are explained by the flexibility of the technical substrate, the lack of clarity of the managerial philosophy, and some contextual elements. Successful implementation may rest upon high hybridization of the tool on these different dimensions. A precise and prescribed technical substrate is not sufficient to guarantee implementation of a managerial philosophy.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

Mandated implementation of management tools may be more successful if it is explicit on the managerial philosophy, the technical substrate and the link between the two, and if it provides some leeway to adapt both to the organisational context.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This is one of the few studies to describe and analyse the process involved in mandated large-scale implementation of performance management systems in public healthcare organisations.

Reliability of internal logistics distribution in a hospital

Purpose

The main objective of the research is to propose a method to assess the reliability of hospitals' internal logistics distribution.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured methodology was defined in five stages: (1) data collection and current state mapping; (2) future state design; (3) identification of the uncertainties and sources of variation; (4) reliability analysis of the proposed future state and (5) identification and prioritization of improvements.

Findings

Results show shortcomings of the future state design and propose solutions to obtain a state that is more realistic and possible to perform. Subsequently, the feasibility of these improvements was analysed in order to be implemented in a real context, searching and identifying different uncertainty sources occurring inside the system.

Originality/value

Studies that have addressed hospital's internal logistics are scarce. Such gap highlights the need for this research developments that address the reliability enhancement in hospitals internal logistics.