A Clear Improvement Strategy

Too often, strategic objectives are not achieved due to a lack of focus and execution. A clear strategy and True North provide direction, alignment, and make results measurable and achievable.

Symbol helps organisations translate strategic goals into concrete improvement projects (Hoshin Kanri) and ensure their execution.

Guidance on Improvement Strategy

The Importance of a Clear Strategy

A clear strategy ensures focus, coherence, and results. Without clear direction, organisations become fragmented, ambitions remain unrealised, and available capacity is not optimally utilised for growth and improvement.

Ambitions Remain Stuck in Plans

Because strategic goals are insufficiently translated into concrete actions, ownership, and measurable results.

Capacity Becomes Fragmented

If too many initiatives run simultaneously, priorities are unclear, and projects contribute insufficiently to the strategic course.

Departments Work in Silos

Because teams are managed based on their own KPIs and interests, collaboration, speed, and strategic progress decrease.

Strategy Execution That Works

Clear True North

Formulate a clear long-term direction (3–5 years) with concrete ambitions and measurable success criteria. This creates direction and strategic coherence.

Focus in Project Portfolio

Use Hoshin Kanri and the X-matrix to translate the strategy into a limited number of breakthrough projects. Work with clear project charters, SMART objectives, and explicit ownership.

Execution Power and Sustenance

Invest in leadership, project skills, and change management. Embed results in standards and quality systems to prevent regression.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

From Strategy to Execution

Symbol assists organisations in formulating a clear direction (True North). We then help translate the strategy into a focused number of breakthrough projects. Finally, we support the realisation of these projects.

CIMM Assessment

With the CIMM assessment, interviews, and Gemba walks, we objectively map where the organisation stands in terms of leadership, process control, performance management, and continuous improvement. We identify maturity level, strengths, bottlenecks, and gaps relative to the ambition. This forms the factual basis for targeted improvement choices.

Result: insight into current maturity and concrete improvement opportunities.

CIMM Assessment

Hoshin Kanri

Together with management and the board, we formulate the True North: the clear long-term direction of the organisation. Using Hoshin Kanri and the X-matrix, we translate this ambition into multi-year objectives and concrete, measurable annual goals. This creates clear coherence between vision, priorities, and impact.

Result: clear strategic focus with breakthrough goals and organisation-wide alignment.

Hoshin Kanri

Policy Development

In this phase, we translate strategy into an integrated and manageable annual plan. With the X-matrix, we ensure alignment, clear KPIs, sharp choices in breakthrough projects, and explicit ownership. Governance and responsibilities are clearly defined for all organisational levels.

Result: clear focus, prioritised breakthrough projects, and measurable goals.

Policy Development

Policy Deployment

Here, we ensure that plans are actually executed and results are embedded. We guide breakthrough projects, set up performance dashboards and review rhythms, and strengthen leadership and ownership within the line organisation. Improvements are secured in processes and systems.

Result: rollout of the improvement strategy, tangible results, and an embedded improvement culture.

Policy Deployment

How Strategy Works in Practice

MOSO: 30% kortere doorlooptijd door procesverbetering

De R&D-afdeling van MOSO was overbelast en een rem op groei. Niet door gebrek aan talent, maar door ontbrekende structuur en onduidelijk eigenaarschap. Symbol bracht de diagnose en een gerichte aanpak. Resultaat: 30% kortere doorlooptijd en voor het eerst in jaren ruimte voor nieuwe productontwikkeling.

Thales: Lean transformatie radarproductie

Lean-transformatie binnen 22 afdelingen resulteerde in 30% kortere doorlooptijd en minder onderhandenwerk. Symbol implementeerde Lean-fundamentals bestaande uit 6S, OHW-beheersing en Visual management binnen 22 afdelingen.

Mogema: proceskennis geborgd met interim consultant

Mogema had jarenlang opgebouwde proceskennis die nergens op papier stond. Intern ontbrak de capaciteit om dit op te pakken. Symbol leverde een interim consultant die gesprekken voerde in de fabriek en kennis omzette naar gestructureerde werkinstructies. Resultaat: lopende projecten volledig gedocumenteerd op hetzelfde niveau als nieuwe projecten.

Tata Steel: toepassing Six Sigma bespaarde meer dan 50M€

Tata Steel werkt systematisch aan operational excellence via data-gedreven Six Sigma-projecten. Symbol verzorgt de Green en Black Belt-opleidingen en begeleidt projecten waar capaciteit ontbreekt. Resultaat: één project rondom ijzermengers levert meer dan €200.000 per jaar op. Vijf seconden tijdwinst per staalrol betekent tienduizenden euro's aan besparing.

Results and Impact of Strategy Development

Higher Completion Rate of Strategic Projects (+40–60%)

Due to clear priorities, ownership, and governance, the percentage of completed projects increases significantly.

Improved Financial Performance

Targeted breakthrough projects demonstrably contribute to revenue growth, margin improvement, or cost reduction (often 2–5% EBIT impact within 1–2 years).

Clear Direction and Shared Focus

A clear True North provides employees with guidance: where are we going and why? This reduces noise and internal discussions.

Stronger Ownership within the Organisation

Strategy is translated into concrete goals per department and individual. Employees see how they contribute to the bigger picture.

Better Alignment Between Departments

Silo thinking decreases as objectives and KPIs are interconnected. Collaboration is strengthened.

From Strategy to Results

An effective strategy requires translation into concrete improvement initiatives that directly contribute to organisational goals. By linking projects to strategy, focus and ownership emerge, and results are structurally achieved and sustained.

Symbol develops and implements improvement strategies, connects projects to goals, and trains management and teams in continuous improvement for sustainable results.

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: Hoshin Kanri is a method for translating strategic goals into concrete actions at all levels of the organisation. It ensures focus, alignment, and measurable progress, thereby enabling strategy to be effectively realised.
: Strategy defines the long-term direction and choices of an organisation. Policy translates this strategy into concrete guidelines and priorities for execution within departments and teams.
: Policy development focuses on determining priorities and goals based on the strategy. Policy deployment (for example, via Hoshin Kanri) ensures that these goals are translated into concrete actions and KPIs at all levels.
: Mission and vision describe an organisation’s reason for existence and desired future. True North gives substance to this by formulating a specific goal that the organisation actively works towards.
: By breaking down True North into strategic objectives, KPIs, and improvement initiatives per level. Methodologies such as Hoshin Kanri then translate these goals into actions and ownership throughout the organisation.