New Scorecard Features: Batch Data Load and Heat Map

Batch Data Load Screen

You can only access this screen if you have batch-data-load privilege, but you don't need the privilege to benefit from it! It allows someone (or a program) to automatically upload actuals and targets for multiple metrics at once. This is particularly useful when that data is provided by another system, but it can also be used to limit people's ability to enter data.

If you are an administrator with batch-data-load privilege, you can find the new screen in the left-hand navigation pane. It's designed for uploading a Tab-Delimited Text file (.txt) from a spreadsheet or other source. It is similar to the Metric Load screen but it allows loading multiple metrics at once. Before loading any metrics with this screen, you need to set those metrics up to be batch loaded. See the on-line help for full details.

Heat Map Screen

The Heat Map is a graphical representation of the current month's progress by metric vs. business unit. It shows all the key metrics across a BU, or function and highlights:

• How each business units is performing across multiple metrics
• Which metrics are challenging the most business units
• If any key reviews for this period are missing

Instances of a Metric Type Screen

This screen shows every instance where a metric type is used and lets you check across-the-board performance. It is also useful for managing metric types and for investigations related to batch data loading. It displays the review status, trend, and concern for each metric.

PlanBase Rolls Out Enhanced Communications Features in PlanBase Hoshin Upgrade

Andover, MA  June 8, 2009 – PlanBase, a leading creator of web-based Hoshin Planning software, today announced an upgrade to its PlanBase Hoshin software, including new communications and coaching features designed to increase users' engagement with the planning tools, and collaboration with one another, for improved results.

PlanBase Hoshin: New Features Enhance User Engagement and Collaboration

The latest version of PlanBase Hoshin includes several new features designed to increase users' engagement in the planning process through personalized communication and coaching. A new, built-in notification system allows users to receive messages on the Home Page, specific to their role in the planning process, such as reminders to take certain actions for which they are responsible. Many messages will delete themselves when the required action is taken, but any one may be deleted manually. The in-system messages will be augmented by email reminders when certain actions are not taken, or when new messages are present.

In addition, the new release includes features designed to facilitate communication among all participants in the planning process. Known as "Catchball" among Hoshin practitioners, this group dialogue is deemed critical to a plan's success. PlanBase Hoshin will now enable all participants charged with executing a plan to be engaged in top down and bottom up communication aimed at continuously refining and improving their plans, even if they are in different locations.
For more information about the latest release of PlanBase Hoshin, visit PlanBase.com.

PlanBase's web-based Business System management software take the pain out of the strategic planning process by allowing real time, enterprise-wide collaboration on strategy deployment and process management. PlanBase Hoshin brings speed to strategy deployment, accountability to strategy execution, and visibility to progress. PlanBase Scorecard brings measurement to key metrics, continuous improvement to the collection of processes that define how value is created, and transparency to results. In organizations large and small, PlanBase solutions foster increased awareness, motivation, alignment, and success.

PlanBase Scorecard

Manage processes and KPIs with ease in PlanBase Scorecard. It shares a single-sign-on with PlanBase Hoshin and is just as easy to use. The new Scorecard system:

• Supports using the same definitions for metrics (measurements) across an organization
• Provides a rolling 15-month view of process performance
• Charts actual performance relative to target
• Shows different views of the organization: by business, function, process, or metric.
• Encourages process improvements that specify who, what, and when

Please contact your account manager for a demo.

PlanBase Hoshin Now Supports Multi-Year Plans

A new version of PlanBase Hoshin, released today, adds full support for multi-year plans. Existing plans can be extended to cover multiple years.

For enhanced security, we can now limit all logins to a single IP address. If your firewall/proxy gives all outgoing requests the same return IP address, this can be used to prevent people from accessing PlanBase Hoshin from anywhere but work (or signed into their work network using a VPN). Let us know if you would like us to enable this option for your organization.

We added two new columns to the CSV download for a more fine-grained view of how "healthy" the plan is. They tell you whether each objective/strategy has metrics and if each metric has a target or an actual value for the current period.

The system now checks that you have JavaScript™ and cookies enabled before allowing you to log in.

JavaScript is a trademark of Sun Microsystems.

New Release of PlanBase Hoshin provides Monthly Reviews, Reporting, and Security Enhancements

Monthly Reviews

PlanBase Hoshin now supports monthly reviews as well as quarterly. It takes just 3 clicks to change any existing plan from a quarterly review schedule to a monthly one. You don't have to make up your mind: you can change it from monthly to quarterly and back again as often as you like without loosing any data!

Dashboarding

A reporting dashboard has been added to the Plan Status screen that allows you to filter by status, depth, or function: "Show me what's red!" It is also possible to email all the owners of the strategies in a plan or just the owners that show up in any slice of data you select on this screen.

Language Support

Characters used in most of the world's writing systems are now supported along with the Euro symbol (€). This means you can enter data into the system in Arabic, Armenian, Balinese, Bengali, Bopomofo, Braille, Buginese, Buhid, Cherokee, CJK Unified, Coptic, Cyrillic, Devanagari, English, Ethiopic, Georgian, Glagolitic, Greek, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Han, Hangul Jamo, Hanunoo, Hebrew, Hiragana, Kanbun, Kannada, Katakana, Khmer, Lao, Limbu, Malayalam, Mongolian, Myanmar, NKo, New Tai Lue, Ogham, Oriya, Phags-pa, Runic, Sinhala, Syloti Nagri, Syriac, Tagalog, Tagbanwa, Tai Le, Tamil, Telugu, Thaana, Thai, Tibetan, Tifinagh, and Yi (partial list).

Security

At PlanBase we are always striving to keep our clients' data as secure as possible. Several new security enhancements were rolled out with this release:

• Accounts are now locked after 13 months of inactivity (a shorter period is available upon request).


• Password expiration is now available upon request.


• PlanBase Hoshin has always picked the strongest encryption a browser/client would support, but now it actually refuses to connect using outdated encryption schemes. Any modern browser and operating system which is still supported by its vendor should continue to work just fine (Windows® 2000 must have all the latest patches applied).

Streamlined Experience

We have worked very hard to make this version even easier to learn and to allow advanced users to perform their work even faster with fewer clicks and less reading. All the new functionality has been added to the online help system which we also make available to our clients as a printed manual.

Find Out More!

If you are interested in learning more about PlanBase Hoshin, please watch our audio/video PlanBase Hoshin Demonstration. You can also Contact Us for more information or to evaluate PlanBase Hoshin for use in your organization.

Windows is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

"Spreadsheet Download" Release provides an Excel® report, email links, and more...

What's new in this release?

Responsibilities Screen:

View every objective, strategy, and tactic that you own, and every plan that you are authorized to view.

Document Links:

Link to scorecards, A3 charts, websites, spreadsheets, or any document available on your network.

All Plans Status:

Together in one place, read the top level objectives for every plan you are authorized to view.

Email Links:

Hover your mouse over the icon next to a user's name, and an email link will appear, as well as a phone number.

Download to Excel®:

Create an Excel Spreadsheet with columns such as Plan Creation Status, Review Status, Owners, or other data from your plan.

About PlanBase Hoshin

PlanBase Hoshin is an easy to use, highly secure, web-based planning tool that provides a clear line of sight from the highest objective to the lowest assigned task or tactic.  Presentation-ready status reports present your progress
in a clean, professional format that can be printed or shared online.  Drill down into any part of a plan to discover root causes and formulate corrective actions.

Using PlanBase Hoshin helps organizations to easily and clearly communicate the strategic plan elements to those who need to know.  It increases accountability but it also increases visibility and provides opportunities to recognize outstanding plan participants.  All of which will increase commitment and motivation in your teams.

The PlanBase web site (including a contact form) is planbase.com.

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Excel is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Hoshin Kanri in the News This Week

We found 2 new articles of note on Hoshin Planning in the past few days:

Industry Week:
"Called hoshin kanri (or hoshin planning), the management system... helps Toyota remain competitive year after year by keeping the entire organization's eyes and actions focused on achieving the same goals." Full Story...

iSixSigma:
"The Hoshin objective is an annual 'stretch' goal that, when achieved, will have a significant impact on the business situation that was identified in the annual state of the business review." Full Story...