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The A3 REPORT Sections

Lesson from Our A3 Report Template Online Training

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Forms & Tools

A3 Report Template

  • Powerful tool to communicate your A3 Thinking
  • Solve your toughest problems with the A3 Report
  • Tackle opportunities too. A3 Thinking is versatile
  • 3 sizes available to match your region…and your printer
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  • Level: Advanced

    Sophisticated tool to solve complicated problems

  • Phase: 6

    Keeping Momentum
    Continue working when even with a strong structure

  • Type: Form

    Resource to help you put continuous improvement concepts to use.

  • Format: PowerPoint

    Use and edit the form on software you are already familiar with. 

  • License Type:
    Corporate

    Modify and share the form within your company.

  • License Duration:
    Permanent

    Download comes with a permanent license.

  • Access: 30 Days

    Online access to supporting content and download links. Longer access with subs.
About this Form

Tackle Major Problems with Confidence

Description
A3 Reports and CI
More About the A3 Template
Key Info
Related Content

Description

An A3 Report is a communication tool that turns A3 Thinking into effective problem solving. The format promotes a rigorous PDCA cycle by the project team and confidence in the approach by the stakeholders. This form is accompanied by a load of available training content.

This tool is not for the inexperienced. Done poorly, you can waste resources and make problems worse. To prevent that, our A3 Report Template is backed by a continuous improvement system with loads of A3 specific training, as well as general problem solving and leadership content.

The A3 Report Template is a powerful, advanced tool that…

  • Quickly and effectively communicates project status
  • Inspires confidence that your team is on the right track
  • Provides a framework for a mentor to support the project leader
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The A3 Report is, first and foremost, a communication tool. It also helps people follow a structured approach, but it really is an output of that structure, and not the cause of it. That is the more general "A3 Thinking" which is essentially a 'roided up' PDCA cycle.

This form is not a stand-alone tool. If you do not have a robust set of problem-solving skills and general leadership skills, you will fail in your A3 efforts, and the A3 Report will be ineffective.

How This Form Drives Continuous Improvement

Adds Rigor to the Process

We know mistakes happen when people freelance in production processes. But most people don't believe that gut-feel problem solving suffers the same limitations. They are wrong. The more structured you make your problem solving process, the better your results will be.

 Transparency & Communication

The A3 Report puts your problem solving methods front and center. Anyone who is interested in the issue can immediately see what was done and can quickly get all the information they need. There is no need to dig for hidden information.

Promotes Confidence

The byproduct of following a process, transparency, and communication is confidence. If someone knows what you did and why you did it, and how you came to your conclusions, they will be more confident that the solution will be a good one.

Key Information About the A3 Report Template

A3 Thinking is the culmination of integrating the early phases of this system into your way doing business. Doing an effective A3 Report requires that you think in a particular way about continuous improvement and have a strong infrastructure in place.

A3 Reports are NOT a tool to make an average company good.
They are a tool that makes a good company great.


Trying to use them without having put in the work to create a strong CI culture and without a robust infrastructure in place will virtually guarantee this tool will have only limited effectiveness. Despite this limitation, the A3 Report is one of our most popular forms.

For that reason, it is also the one that I worry most about. It is the form that is most often used before people are ready for it. The A3 Report Template is a capstone form and requires a lot of work both in creating an environment where it can be used effectively, and also in the back end to support the content that goes into the A3 Report.

The Form is Made With PowerPoint

This form is produced with PowerPoint for two reasons. The first is that most people are familiar with the tool. The second is that there is no true, defined format for an A3 Report. PowerPoint makes it extremely easy to alter the layout as needed.

The Form Comes in 3 Sizes

Our template comes in 3 sizes. The original 'A3' size is widely used in Japan and Europe, but not in the US. In the US, 11x17 is the closest paper size. Because that is a large format and many people will not have a printer that size, we also offer a 2-page, 8 ½ x 11 layout.

The A3 Report is an Overview

The A3 Report is an overview communication document, albeit a detailed one. There should be a lot of supporting work that turns into the at-a-glance view shown on this tool.

A Quick Warning

A3 Reports were originally intended to be handwritten documents. The world has changed. People are working remotely more than ever, and technology makes updating in any location easier than it was wan A3 Reports took off. Electronic versions are fine, as long as you don't let technology drive your problem-solving process.

What is an A3 Template?

An A3 Template is a communication tool used to help manage particularly challenging problems that require a team approach to solve. A3 Thinking, upon which the form is based, is a philosophical approach to problem solving that has its foundation in the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle.

  • About the Name: The name, A3, comes from the size of paper used in Japan where A3 Thinking originated. It is pretty close to the 11x17 sheet of paper used in the US.
  • The Origin of A3 Thinking: A3 Thinking is widely reported to have begun at Toyota. It gained popularity substantially during the early 2000's.
  • The Storyboard: A3 Thinking uses the storyboard approach to communicate the progress through a problem. The intent is to distill all the backend work into something manageable when presenting ideas to people. The need to fit information into small spaces forces people to be extremely clear in what they are trying to say.
  • Why is A3 Thinking Hard? A3 Thinking is a challenge because it requires that people follow a regimented thought process and avoid shortcuts. The level of certainty that is required in really, truly, deeply understanding the root cause of the problem is seldom sought in most problem-solving efforts. Because A3 Reports are reserved for the most vexing problems, the bar is set high. It is this requirement to be able to show proof that derails many people. They are simply used to treating assumptions and popular opinion as fact and push back at the level of effort that it takes to confirm those idea.

Related Content

We have a load of related training and resources to support your A3 Thinking efforts.
This includes the following:

  • A3 Thinking for Leaders: This is a growing primer on using the A3 Thinking process.
  • Fundamentals Of A3 Thinking (Training System Module): Part of our training system, this module is designed to be a detailed introduction to the A3 Thinking process.
  • A3 Thinking Fundamentals (Trainer Download Pack): Our training system modules are designed so you can teach the materials yourself if you want to run your own program.
  • A3 Thinking Quick Reference Cards: In the often chaotic world of production, there can be a load of down time. QRCs let you capitalize on that time with 'hip pocket training' or can serve as a quick refresher as needed.

Form & Supporting Lessons

The lessons below are clickable and will take you to the course player.

Forms & Tools

A3 Report Template

DOWNLOAD THE FORM * LEARN TO USE IT * TEACH YOUR TEAM
Do you have robust problem-solving skills and want a tool to harness that talent into something even more powerful? If the answer is yes, then A3 Thinking is for you, and the A3 Report Template is the tool to help you attack the most challenging problems in your company.

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What You Should Know Before Using an A3 Report.
(Course Content from Section 4)