Toyotas

A3 Problem Solving Process

PMI KY Bluegrass Chapter
Paul Briggs
September 17, 2009
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Certainly, the thieves may be able to follow the
blueprints and produce a loom. But we are
modifying and improving our looms every day.
By the time the thieves have produced a
machine from the plans they stole, we will have
already advanced well beyond it.

Kiichiro Toyoda responding to theft of blueprints
from Toyoda Automatic Loom Works
Quoted from Morgan/Liker The Toyota Product Development System
Toyota The Learning Organization
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What is an A3?
International paper size ~ 11 x 17
A3 Report Toyota practice
Problem
Analysis
Countermeasures
Action Plan
Graphics emphasis
Single sheet of A3 paper

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Key references
*Managing to Learn John Shook
Getting the Right Things Done Pascal Dennis
A3 Thinking Durward K. Sobek II & Art
Smalley
The Toyota Way Jeffrey Liker
The Toyota Product Development System
Morgan/Liker
Decoding the DNA of the TPS Spear/Bowen
(article HBR 9-10/99)
www.lean.org webinars, excerpts, downloads
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Title: What you are talking about
Background
Current Conditions
Target/Goal(s)
Analysis
Proposed Countermeasure(s)
Plan
Followup
Why you are talking about it.
- What is the business reason for choosing this issue?
Where things stand today.
- Whats the problem with that, with where we stand?
- What is the actual symptom that the business feels that
requires action?
Show visually pareto charts, graphs, drawings, maps, etc.
The specific outcome required for the business.
- What is the specific change you want to accomplish now.?
- How will you measure success?

The root cause(s) of the problem.
- Why are we experiencing the symptom?
- What constraints prevent us from the goal?
Choose the simplest problem-solving tool for this issue:
- Five whys
- Fishbone
- QC Tools
- SPC, Six Sigma, Shainen, Kepner Traego, others
Your proposal to reach the future state, the target condition.
- What alternatives could be considered?
- How will you choose among the options? What decision
criteria?
How your recommended countermeasures will impact the
root cause to change the current situation and achieve the
target.
A Gantt chart or facsimile that shows actions/outcomes,
timeline and responsibilities. May include details on the
specific means of implementation.
- Who will do what, when and how?
Indicators of performance, of progress.
- How will we know if the actions have the impact needed?
- What are the critical few, visual, most natural measures?
Remaining issues that can be anticipated.
- Any failure modes to watch out for? Any unintended
consequences?
Ensure ongoing P-D-C-A. Yokoten as needed.

Owner initials
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The Problem Solving Template (A3)
The A3 Problem Solving template lays out an entire plan,
large or small, on one sheet of paper.
It should be visual and extremely concise.
It should tell a story, laid out from upper left-hand side
to lower right, which anyone can understand.
What is important is not the format, but the process and
thinking behind it.
It fosters dialogue.
It develops problem solvers.


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The Problem Solving Process - PDCA
Iterative 4-step problem solving process
Popularized by W.E. Deming -> Shewhart Cycle
Plan
Do
Check/Study
Act/Adjust/Standardize
Scientific Method Francis Bacon hypothesis
experiment evaluation (PDC)
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Relationship
between
PDCA Cycle and
Problem Solving
Template (A3)

ACT / ADJUST
DECIDE WHAT
ACTIONS NEED TO
BE TAKEN NEXT TO
ACHIEVE THE
TARGET
PLAN
AGREE ON A
PRACTICAL PROCESS
TO ADDRESS A
PROBLEM OR NEED
DO
IMPLEMENT THE
PROCESS AS PLANNED
(MONITOR TO RESOLVE
PROBLEMS THAT
ARISE)
CHECK
SEE AND EVALUATE
BOTH THE IMPACT OF
THE PROCESS AND ITS
EXECUTION
Grasp the
Situation
ACT / ADJUST
DECIDE WHAT
ACTIONS NEED TO
BE TAKEN NEXT TO
ACHIEVE THE
TARGET
PLAN
AGREE ON A
PRACTICAL PROCESS
TO ADDRESS A
PROBLEM OR NEED
DO
IMPLEMENT THE
PROCESS AS PLANNED
(MONITOR TO RESOLVE
PROBLEMS THAT
ARISE)
CHECK
SEE AND EVALUATE
BOTH THE IMPACT OF
THE PROCESS AND ITS
EXECUTION
Grasp the
Situation
Plan Do Check Act/Adjust Cycle
(c) verbleworthverble 2004
Initial Problem Perception:
Historical / organizational context of the
situation What are we talking about?
Current Situation:
Where do we stand today?
Desired Situation / Goal:
The specific thing we want to accomplish to
improve the situation - Where do we need to be?
Root Cause Analysis:
To determine the specifics of the issue or need
and the reasons it exists
- also the requirements, constraints and the
alternatives to be dealt with
Recommended Countermeasures:
The actions proposed and why they are being
recommended
Implementation Plan:
What activities will be required for
implementation and who will be responsible for
what and when
Follow - up:
How we will know if the actions have the impact
needed
Agreement:
Project Owner Date .
Executive Sponsor Date .
Title: Problem Solving Template
Initial Problem Perception:
Historical / organizational context of the
situation What are we talking about?
Current Situation:
Where do we stand today?
Desired Situation / Goal:
The specific thing we want to accomplish to
improve the situation - Where do we need to be?
Root Cause Analysis:
To determine the specifics of the issue or need
and the reasons it exists
- also the requirements, constraints and the
alternatives to be dealt with
Recommended Countermeasures:
The actions proposed and why they are being
recommended
Implementation Plan:
What activities will be required for
implementation and who will be responsible for
what and when
Follow - up:
How we will know if the actions have the impact
needed
Agreement:
Project Owner Date .
Executive Sponsor Date .
Title: Problem Solving Template
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The Toyota Way (Liker) 14 Principles
Section IV Continuously Solving Root Problems
Drives Organizational Learning
Principle 12 Go & See for Yourself to Thoroughly Understand
the Situation
Principle 13 Make Decisions Slowly by Consensus, Thoroughly
Considering All Options; Implement Rapidly
Communicate Visually on One Piece of Paper to Arrive at Decisions
Principle 14 Become a Learning Organization Through
Relentless Reflection and Continuous Improvement
Identify Root Causes and Develop Countermeasures
Getting to the Root Cause by Asking Why? Five Times
Practical Problem Solving in Seven Steps
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J. Liker
The Toyota Way
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The Role of the Mentor
Mentors are critical
Mentors question, coach, teach
Mentors are interested in the thinking / planning of the A3 owner
Data/metrics are critical
How do you know?
Go to the Gemba
Expect to rewrite A3s often
A3s take time not a quick fix
What questions are you trying to answer?
What is the right thing to do? (responsibility-focused conversation)
The A3 author-owner owns the problem
May not have authority in all areas
Has responsibility to get decisions made & implemented
Assumption: Mentors are experienced in A3 thinking
Assumption: Mentors have a lot of experience in the area associated
with the problem under investigation
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Types of A3s
Problem Solving A3
Proposal A3
Status A3
Strategy A3
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Some Reflections on Personal Use
Get a copy of Managing to Learn
Start with yourself set the example
Try creating/mentoring an A3 for a moderately complex problem that has
already been solved
Begin with smaller problems
Continually ask How do you know?
Identify what questions you are trying to answer this week? Month?
What hypotheses do you have? What experiments will you perform?
Focus on short learning cycles
Recognize that A3s can take some time
Consider using a mindmapping tool (Freemind) to free associate w/ A3
sections
A3s vs powerpoint?
Use graphics where possible be creative, storm clouds, star bursts
Data/metrics may be hard to locate use estimates
Use A3s as a collaboration tool when you can
Identify & update the Next steps / follow-up section of your A3
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J. Shook quotes, MTL, Introduction
Writing an A3 is the first step toward learning to use the A3
process, toward learning to learn.

Unless the broader organization embraces the broader process, the
much greater benefit will be unrealized. The entire effort may
degenerate into a check-the-box exercise, as A3s will join unused
SPC charts, ignored standardized work forms, and disregarded
value-stream maps as corporate wallpaper.

If you want to manage and lead in ways that build robust systems
and processes that cascade responsibility and learning throughout
the organization, then the A3 management style and process not
just the A3 piece of paper will help you do so.
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My Contact Information
Paul Briggs
859-227-8314
briggsp@insightbb.com