The A3
This topic teaches you how to keep a shop-floor problem on a single A3 sheet, from the figures-based observation through to the verification of results, following the PDCA cycle, and how to keep that sheet alive in front of the line rather than in a binder.
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A recurring stoppage on a line, a scrap rate that will not come down, a project that has been dragging on for three meetings: the A3 is used to lay out this problem on a single sheet, with the figures, the causes, the actions and the results. The name comes from the paper size. The method comes from Toyota, which uses it to structure problem solving and the dialogue between an owner and their manager.
This course is intended for production managers, continuous improvement managers and plant managers who already know OEE and PDCA, and who want a standard way of framing a project without multiplying presentations. By the end, you will know how to fill in the seven boxes of an A3 in the right order, distinguish an observation from a cause, write a measurable objective, build a WHAT-WHO-WHEN action plan and organize the review that tells you whether the problem is really solved.
What you will be able to do
- Recognize the problems that justify an A3 and those that a simple action plan is enough to handle.
- Write a context and a current situation backed by figures, with a chart readable from the line.
- Formulate a SMART objective that closes the door to interpretation.
- Separate root causes from symptoms using the 5 Whys and the Ishikawa diagram, verifying on the shop floor.
- Choose high-impact countermeasures and translate them into WHAT-WHO-WHEN actions.
- Define the indicator, the date and the person responsible for verification, then close the PDCA cycle or launch a new A3.
The path
- One sheet, one problem: what the A3 changes 4 min
- Framing the problem: background, current situation, objective 5 min
- Getting back to root causes before talking solutions 5 min
- Selecting countermeasures and building the WHAT-WHO-WHEN plan 4 min
- Check the results, display the A3 and close the loop 4 min
Prerequisites
Know the PDCA cycle and be able to read an OEE or a simple production indicator. Having already taken part in a problem-solving meeting on the shop floor is enough. No knowledge of the 5 Whys, Ishikawa or Pareto is required: they are introduced at the point where the A3 calls on them.
The closing quiz
The topic ends with a 7-question quiz, and a certificate is issued on success.