Today’s tool is the A3 problem solving technique and process. This structured process guides an individual or team through key steps to get from a problem to a solution.
It’s called A3 because this whole tool is meant to fit on one side of a paper no larger than 11×17 inches. This was developed by Toyota as part of the Toyota Production System, later known as the Toyota Way. Toyota developed this based on learnings from J. Edwards Deming and his Plan, Do, Check, Act process.
Today I am focused on the Problem Solving A3, but there are other types of A3’s that you may want to explore. Problem Solving A3’s aren’t meant for smaller problem that can be solved quickly with the right people. Rather, they are meant for larger problems that will likely take more thought, effort, trial/error, and creativity/innovation to solve.
Let’s take a glance at the Problem Solving A3, which flows top down and left to right on the page.
Title: Pick a title that introduces the problem, like “Improving our project estimates”.
Background: Share context about the problem at hand and why it needs to be addressed at a high level, like “Current project estimates on average are 25% lower than actual project costs”. Tie this into a company goal if possible to show some urgency, like “Company goal is to improve project profitability by 10%”.
Current Condition & Problem Statement: The main goal of this section is to share a simple view of the problem and the current process for the reader. Framing the problem in a fact-based matter will enable better collaboration and alignment around the problem.
Goal Statement: Address the issues of how the team will know this effort has been successful at the end, and how that decision will be made.
Root-Cause Analysis: Expand upon the current condition to identify the root cause(s) of the stated problem. Use tools like the 5 Why’s or Fishbone to accomplish this.
Countermeasures: This step begins to identify potential solutions to the root cause(s) identified. This set of actions to solve the underlying causes should include the what, why, when, who, and a short finding description (another what).
Check/Confirmation: This step includes steps that describe how the trial/error section of testing the actions and measuring their effectiveness will be done. It compares the metrics from the Goals section to the current tests to ensure improvement.
Follow-Up Actions: This section includes any additional actions that must be taken for this problem/solution or related learnings. It describes how the changes made will be sustained. It also describes how these improvements will be communicated to others.
That’s it, at a high level at least. The goal of this post was to introduce the idea of the Problem Solving A3, but there is much more to it and some great resources available online to learn more.
Have you used this process or others like it?
