Most projects should be linked to a strategic imperative. Therefore projects flowing to a project hopper should have their headwaters based in the strategic plan whether it be the classical version or some form of Hoshin Planning. As a result, one starts with the few strategic issues/levers such as growth, market share, operational excellence, product innovation or any other high level driver. From there it cascades down through a series of metrics (MBF), processes, L2 metrics, L2 subprocesses, etc. until the appropriate level. Each of the projects need to have a line of sight back to the strategic issues with some parameter of the process being the focus of attention. For example, the packaging department where scrap might be the parameter and some metric/measure of waste, rework, etc. This same approach applies to sales, R&D, finance, etc. That is the primary flow downward. Other sources for the hopper include doing some Prime Value Chain analysis using Value Stream Maps. This is good for the identification of some Lean projects or Kaizen events. Done with the operating areas, these can serve as a fountain of potential projects flowing up. To fully describe the process for filling the hopper would require a lot more space.
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