ABSTRACT
Strictly speaking Six Sigma is not included in traditional Hoshin Kanri because the Japanese approach to continuous improvement embraces not only Six Sigma but also Lean Manufacturing. However, it is included in this book, as is Lean Manufacturing, because it has now become so well known that it can be covered as an overview here knowing that the reader will have access to a considerable library on the topic. In this chapter we will merely skim the surface of the subject. The reason being that in the development of Hoshin Kanri KPIs, the organisation will have identified a large number of KPIs where the gaps between Current Performance and Target performance are significant and to close them will require techniques which go beyond the basic problem-solving tools that are well known.
