A3 Thinking - More than Just the Paper Size By Dwayne Keller  A3s are still uncommon in business practices.  In fact, there are only a small percentage of manufacturing and service companies really using A3s to run their business.  As with any new improvement philosophy or tool, there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to A3s.  While there are multiple types of A3s with different purposes (e.g., Proposal and Problem-solving A3s), they all have the same origin.  Let's dig into the intent of the A3 as designed by Toyota. Paper size The name comes from the 11 x 17 inch paper size, which is also called A3.  When Toyota first started driving for concise problem-solving documentation, the widest paper that could be transmitted electronically through a fax machine was 11 x 17 inches.  Hence, the name A3 became synonymous with the problem-solving document. A3 Thinking The real power of the A3 is in the "thought process" it is intended to drive.  It is laid out to essentially force the Problem-solver (A3 creator) to follow the Scientific Method: Problem, Cause, Solution, Action, Measure, also known as PCSAM.  Not coincidentally, the sections of the A3 are labeled: Problem, Current State, Future State, Action Plan, and Measures.  You are not allowed to go directly from Problem to Solution, as we do routinely in our jobs every day.  This structure provides the opportunity for a person or team to take time to think about the potential Causes of a well-defined Problem, and develop possible Solutions or Countermeasures to those Causes.  This is the only way to truly solve a Problem, and move from a Reactive to a Problem Prevention Culture.  Buy-in of Workers and Leadership The A3 is intentionally designed to be a Visual form of communication, which most people find to be the easiest and quickest way to assimilate information.  Since the geography on an A3 is relatively small, it requires the creator to draw pictures, graphs, stick figures or other visuals to deeply understand the problem and clearly and concisely communicate the Causes and their Countermeasures to all stakeholders.  Used properly, the A3 will drive dialogue amongst the stakeholders (called "Catch ball" in Lean) that creates buy-in to the proposed Solution.  Call to Action A3s are used at all levels of the organization to run Lean businesses.  Don't be concerned about how pretty your A3 is.  It's the content that matters.  As with anything worthwhile, it takes practice to write good A3s.  However, A3 Thinking is an integral part of Lean.  So find an experienced Lean practitioner to coach you and get started with your first A3 today.  It will transform you and your organization.

In addition to  Lean Consulting Services,  TAG provides   Project Management, Engineering & Technical Support, Training Services,  and Maintenance & Reliability Services.  Call us toll free at 877-824-3647 or visit  www.tag.bz for more information. About the Author:  Dwayne Keller, is VP of  The ACCESS Group's affiliate company Healthcare Performance Partners (HPP).  Dwayne oversees the implementation of Lean Healthcare in  hospital & clinical systems throughout the USA. He has also been a speaker at Lean Enterprise conferences including the Shingo Prize Conference. Formerly, Dwayne worked in manufacturing roles such as engineering, production, plant & operations management for companies; DuPont, Michelin Tire Corporation & Alcoa. Dwayne holds Master & Bachelor degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University & an MBA from Clemson University.