Building and Executing Strategy:
How Hoshin Kanri and Obeya Drive Improved Performance

Hosted in partnership with Oakland University, this event is part of the
LEI Lean Transformation Community-Building and Workshop Series.

This workshop will help you adopt hoshin kanri and obeya (visual room), proven ways to involve everyone at every level of your organization in creating and committing to achieving your company’s annual objectives and then visually tracking progress.

Through a combination of instruction, peer-to-peer interaction, and hands-on exercises and simulations, you’ll experience how the hoshin process helps leaders define a clear and focused strategy amid multiple competing business needs and then align all levels of the organization on the specific goals, activities, and targets to achieve that strategy.  

When you immerse yourself in this simulation with other participants, you’ll make decisions, debate, and come to an alignment on strategic objectives. Throughout, you’ll learn relevant tools and practices and study case study examples of companies using the methods successfully.  

Additionally, you’ll collaborate with other workshop participants to build an obeya to visualize the objectives, metrics, and plans you’ve decided on, identifying what information to track and how, and establishing a cadence of plan-do-check-act (PDCA) improvement cycles. 

What is ‘Obeya’?

An obeya, which means “big room” in Japan, is a tool and practice developed by Toyota to manage projects. Similar in concept to traditional “war rooms,” an obeya is a room where leaders and their teams meet regularly to collaborate and work using visual charts and graphs posted on the walls depicting plans and tracking their progress. 

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have the tools and knowledge to build a solid strategic plan and execute it using hoshin kanri and obeya. You’ll be able to align your team’s efforts and focus on the critical areas that will drive growth and success for your business. 

Who Will Benefit? 

• Leaders, executives, and managers in any industry involved with strategy development who want to overcome obstacles that keep their organization from achieving their strategic objectives 
• Leaders and managers across the enterprise, such as operations, supply chain, purchasing, logistics, delivery, service, marketing, and sales professionals  
• Continuous improvement professionals who help organizations adopt lean thinking and practices 

What Will I Learn? 

Upon completion, you will be able to: 

• Discuss the fundamental framework for hoshin kanri.    
• Clarify conditions for successfully executing hoshin planning and alignment throughout an organization. 
• Adopt the leadership behaviors and practices necessary for successful hoshin planning and overseeing obeya governance. 
• Build a structure of PDCA improvement cycles at the individual, team, division, and corporate levels.    
• Understand the relationship between and begin implementing hoshin planning and using obeya rooms. 

Group Discount

Register three or more attendees for the same workshop as a group and save 12.5% on every registration. To receive a group discount, register as a group through the registration link, and the discount will automatically apply.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel your registration for in-person workshops four weeks before the course start date for a full refund. A cancellation occurring within four weeks of the workshop dates will be subject to a $350 fee. To cancel, please call LEI at (617) 871-2900 or email registrar@lean.org.