In October 1989, my company hosted Total Improvement Process Week, one of the most productive experiences of my career. Our consultant was Ryuji Fukuda, a Deming Prize winner and author of Managerial Engineering (Productivity Inc., 1983), a book I still value for its emphasis on management’s role in continuous improvement. When the chance came to bring Fukuda in for a workshop, we jumped on it.

Discovering the X-type matrix

Among the many topics on Day One of Fukuda’s workshop was a new concept: the X-type matrix for objective management, now simply called the X-matrix. It wasn’t in Fukuda’s book, and I’d never seen it elsewhere. Remember, in 1989, information on the Toyota Production System (TPS) was scarce: no A3s, no value stream maps, no TPS House, and not even a glimpse of Toyota’s own strategic planning process.

Although Fukuda never worked with Toyota, his method for aligning strategy proved highly effective for my company, United Electric Controls. We included it in our Shingo Prize achievement report and were honored with the award in 1990. I became a believer—as have many other Shingo Prize recipients.

More than a spreadsheet

What many organizations still overlook is the social power of the X-matrix. Its structure forces clear links, concrete decisions, and cross-functional collaboration. Crafting an aligned strategy requires as much social engineering as technical know-how. In traditionally siloed organizations, that’s no small feat. The X-matrix works best as a guide and catalyst for the planning process, actively led by the management team.

From high-touch to high tech

Deploying the strategy, however, is its own challenge—assigning ownership, allocating resources, and tracking activities to ensure execution. In 1989, we did all this manually: reports posted on a factory planning wall, face-to-face meetings, and lots of pencils and paper. It was deeply engaging but time-consuming; necessarily high-touch, because information technology was still primitive.

Within a few years, however, that hands-on approach gave way to a digital landscape: plug-and-play X-matrices with nested spreadsheets backed up by bowler charts, email, Slack, WhatsApp, Jira, Miro, Google Docs, Teams, Zoom—the list keeps growing, along with the number of flat screens.

Ironically, each technology aims to share information, yet together they can create confusion. Information that once was clear at a glance is now scattered. In our quest for efficiency, have we built a Tower of Babel? Does this sound familiar?

Keeping people at the center

After four decades helping managers and executives deploy strategy, I remain convinced that human and organizational development must stay at the fore. Supporting technology should be transparent and easy to use across the enterprise—from boardroom to stock room, high-tech and high-touch.

A modern solution

Last year I discovered LinkedXL OS, a connected business-model operating system that meets these criteria. We now use it at Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership, and once again I’m a believer. In 2025, we’ve partnered with Billy Ray Taylor and LinkedXL to share this breakthrough with our customers.

During our 21st Annual Northeast Lean Conference, Oct. 27 and 28, 2025, in Manchester, New Hampshire, anyone attending Taylor’s double session will receive four weeks of free access to LinkedXL OS. Come see how GBMP and LinkedXL can help you supercharge your strategic plan—and take home a four-week trial to prove it. Hope to see you there.

Published Sept. 19, 2025, in the Old Lean Dude blog.