You can get the book here.
The book talks about how A3’s are a tool for systematically exposing problems in your process as they occur and focus on why the problem exists. Based on how A3’s are not really set in a template or the same each time, I am not sure a book is the right way to try and explain or teach them. It seems it would be better learnt from experience and after reading this I didn’t really feel any more knowledgeable on the topic or confident in trying to do one. It wasn’t until I looked at a linkedIn post where a team had done one that it made a little more sense.
Some tips from the book.
- You can use other problem solving methods like fishbone, RRIZ, Six sigma, DMAIC, 5 whys, Kepner, Tregoe, 8D etc within the current reality section of the A3
- The most common mistake is treating the A3 as a form, instead of a process.
- Write in pencil so that you can change it later.
- This is a collaboration tool, it is aimed at getting feedback from all involved in the system.
- start with the hypothesis, what are you trying to test? and how are you going to test it?
The ability and desire to deeply understand our current state is the starting point for all effective learning. The key to improvement is developing a hypothesis. This is not complex; it simply requires a clear statement of what result we expect from a specific action.
There is no right or single format, the benefit of an A3 is in the doing, the collaboration and creating of the document. But a guide on what to include is:
- Problem statement – word this right to focus on waste and solving right problem.
- Current reality – Current observable situation, not what you want.
- Target condition – the goal – what the future will look like after you have made changes.
- Action.
You must be willing to adjust your problem statement as you learn more. Writing a problem statement is an iterative process. – Jamie Flinchbaugh
Current reality.
Directly observe the problem before you can fix it. Your objective is to understand.
If you start making improvements without understanding the current reality, two things are bound to happen. – first you will repeat mistakes that you have already committed. This make learning expensive. – second you will discard the good things you are already doing. If you don’t understand what is working and more importantly why its working, you are likely to slide backwards as you try to make improvements.
Only by a deep understanding of current reality can you ensure that success builds on success and failure is not repeated.
A3 is a valuable tool for establishing common agreement on the what and how by addressing the following questions.
- What do I need to learn about?
- What method can I learn this knowledge
- Why bother
The assumption is that there is something you don’t quite understand, so focus on exactly what that might be. This requires humility and curiosity.
Methods to use.
The 5 whys
Developing and testing a hypothesis
Close the knowledge gaps before you close the performance gaps.
The current reality section of the A3 answers two key questions.
- What do I need to learn more about. And how can I learn it.
- This section can be populated with data, stories, pictures anything. It should explain why you are getting the results that you are getting and where you must focus to make the required changes.
Our first flawed assumption is that the target condition is simply the absence of the problem. This leaves us short of the potential for improvement.
The actions are what it takes to put the improvements into place. If my target condition was ‘no one waits in line. To achieve that outcome might require anywhere from 5 to 50 different action items. The target it the condition that we want to achieve.
The target condition is what you want to achieve, it is a imagine you can describe, it is not just the result but how you want things to be or work. IT should describe what you would see, feel or experience. The target condition is what good looks like.
Now you can set a course of action to get to your target condition with solution steps scheduled, metrics established and action taken.
You must question everything. Your assumptions, your processes, your policies, and yourself if you are going to improve.
The 4th quadrant – the actions should focus on removing barriers to the target condition. This is a subtle but important difference compared to trying to create the target condition. The target should be the result of your actions, not the actions themselves.
Without agreement on the how, you will not be working consistently, so gain high agreement on the how.
When writing the action plan just answer this question – who is going to do what by when?
When working as a team, make sure you have high agreement on both what and how. What are the details of the outcome, the who will do what by when. How is the method or techniques by which it is done. This should be documented
Managing actions through the plan, do, check, act cycle is essential.
Start with a clear plan. Then do that plan. Next Check. – Check means pausing to analyse the results. Then Act or Adjust. You react to what you just learned during check and either standardise what worked or return to the plan and try again.
Think of the A3 as an active document that is continuously changing. It should be visible, To understand a solution, people need to be bought along on the journey with you, they need the context and your thinking. It’s about getting everyone on the same page with the same perception and assumptions.
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