An X-matrix is one page that shows a whole Hoshin plan. It lays out long-range goals, annual objectives, improvement projects, measures and owners around a large X. Marks in the corners show which items relate to which.
The form looks harder than it is. You only need to know the reading order and the marks. To follow along, open the free X-matrix builder and select Load sample. The sample holds the plan in this article.
The plan is fictional. It belongs to a made-up metal parts plant, and the numbers show the method. They aren't results.
The five sections
Start at the bottom of the X and read clockwise.
| Where | Section | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom | Breakthrough objectives | Where the business must be in three to five years. |
| Left | Annual objectives | What you must achieve this year to move toward those goals. |
| Top | Top-level improvement priorities | The few projects that do the work this year. |
| Right | Targets to improve | The measures that show whether the priorities work. |
| Far right | Accountable people | Who answers for each priority. |
Here is the sample plan, with the code that each row carries in the builder:
| Code | Item |
|---|---|
B1 | Ship 98% of orders on time by 2030 |
B2 | Cut customer-reported defects in half by 2030 |
A1 | Reach 94% on-time shipments this year |
A2 | Cut Line 2 scrap from 4% to 3% this year |
A3 | Train every supervisor to write an A3 this year |
P1 | Cut changeover time on Line 2 |
P2 | Start a daily meeting on the shop floor |
P3 | Rebuild the quality check for purchased castings |
T1 | Line 2 changeover: 45 minutes |
T2 | On-time shipments: 94% |
T3 | Line 2 scrap: 3% |
T4 | Supervisors with a finished A3: 12 |
R1 | Plant manager |
R2 | Production supervisor |
R3 | Quality manager |
What the marks mean
Each corner of the X is a grid that links the two sections beside it. Each cell in a grid holds one of three things:
- A filled circle means a strong link.
- A hollow circle means a weak link.
- A blank cell means no link.
Some published versions use other symbols, but the meaning stays the same: strong, weak or none.
Read one thread through the plan
To check that you understand a matrix, follow one item all the way around. Take B1, the on-time goal for 2030.
- Bottom to left.
B1has a strong link toA1. This year's move toward 98% is 94%. - Left to top.
A1has a strong link toP1. The plant believes that shorter changeovers on Line 2 will free the capacity to ship on time. - Top to right.
P1has a strong link toT1. You will know that the project works when a Line 2 changeover takes 45 minutes. - Top to far right.
P1has a strong link toR2. The production supervisor answers for it, and the plant manager has a weak link as support.
Now you can say the whole plan in one sentence: to reach 98% on time by 2030, we need 94% this year, so the production supervisor will cut Line 2 changeover to 45 minutes.
If you can't say a sentence like that for an item, the matrix hasn't done its job for that item.
Look for what's missing
The X-matrix earns its place when you read the empty space. Look for rows and columns with no marks.
- A priority with no objective. The project may have no reason to exist. Ask who wants it and why.
- An objective with no priority. The goal has nothing behind it. It's a hope.
- A priority with no target. Nobody can tell whether it worked.
- A priority with no person. Nobody answers for it.
- A person with too many strong marks. One manager can't lead everything. The matrix shows this at a glance.
The sample has a gap on purpose. P3, the castings check, has strong links to A2 and T3, but no person has a link to it. R3, the quality manager, has no link to anything. The likely fix is one mark: P3 to R3. Until someone makes that decision, the castings project has no owner.
When you spot a gap like this, don't simply add a mark to make the page look complete. Ask the person. A mark means that someone agreed to answer for the work. That conversation is catchball.
What an X-matrix can't tell you
An X-matrix is a map of relationships. It isn't a calculation. A strong mark says that a project relates to an objective. It doesn't say that the project is big enough.
In the sample, A1 asks for 94% on-time shipments. Suppose that the plant ships 90% today. The strong mark between P1 and A1 doesn't tell you whether shorter changeovers will close all four points, or just one. The form leaves that question to you. Before you accept the marks, ask the owner: "If this project succeeds, how much of the gap does it close?"
The matrix also shows a moment in time. It doesn't track progress. For that, you need a bowling chart and a monthly review.
How to use it in a meeting
- Print it large. Put it on the wall of the room where you hold your reviews.
- Read one thread aloud. At the start of a planning meeting, have the owner of one priority read its thread from the goal to the target.
- Limit the priorities. If the top of the X keeps growing, ask what you will stop doing. A long list of priorities usually means that nobody chose.
- Redo it once a year. The matrix is a planning document. Update it when the plan changes, and keep the old version so that you can see what changed.
Where to build one
The free X-matrix builder runs in your browser with no login. It finds rows and columns with no marks. You can print the result or download a file, and your data stays in your browser. The Run Hoshin app has no X-matrix screen, and it can't import the builder's file. If you use the app, you can keep your X-matrix in the builder as the one-page view of the plan, and retype each objective into the app to hand it down. See what the app does not do yet.
See how the app holds the plan, once your X-matrix is done.