The value and the emphasis of the A3 process is intended to be placed on the thinking that goes into the creation of the documents, which is difficult. The “tool” itself is simple, but don’t let that deceive you. Typically the document will feature spaces for the problem solver to communicate the following information about the problem they are solving: and that’s the whole point! A3 Problem Solving: What is an A3?Īn A3 is simply a single sheet of paper with a sequence of blank sections on which a learner documents their problem solving efforts. You get the best results when participants have a foundational understanding of Lean, are supported by a strong facilitator, and have easy access to relevant information.įor more templates like this, see APQC’s collection of Benchmarking and Improvement Tools.As John Shook originally stated, “ A3s are deceptively simple”. The keys to success with A3 are training, facilitation, and data availability. You can purchase A3 modeling software, but it’s not necessary and it’s definitely not a silver bullet. Do you need to do a better job of articulating business benefits and a future state vision build buy-in?.Did you miss some aspects of the current state (e.g., undocumented variations, exceptions, or workarounds)?.If the implementation did not go well, revisit everything you’ve documented in the template thus far to assess what went wrong.
If the implementation results were positive, define actions necessary to expand and/or sustain the implementation. Examine the results of implementation to determine whether desired results were achieved. Define what needs to happen, who will do it (resources), and how they will do it (training, if necessary). Discuss potential solutions and what the future might look like if they were implemented. Identify solutions and a future-state vision.Look closely at all potential causes as well as upstream and downstream relationships that could impact potential solutions. Now, it’s time to really dig into the data around the problem. Write down how solving the problem would help in achieving business goals and KPIs. Identify an improvement opportunity and business benefits.Bring data into the discussion where possible, but don’t go too far into the weeds just yet. Explore the current state around the problem to assess its impact and potential causes (including the eight types of waste). At this stage, the problem statement will be a bit “fuzzy,” and that’s OK. Collaboratively determine what problem needs to be solved and how it impacts the business and its customers. Now, you are ready to begin filling out the template together. To get participants into a Lean mindset, open the session by walking through the eight types of waste on page 3. Replicate page 1 of the template on a whiteboard. Gather stakeholders together and provide each with their own copy of page 2 of APQC’s A3 template.
#A3 project management template series#
The amount of time required depends on the scope of the problem and stakeholders’ schedules, but the process of filling out an A3 can generally be done in a series of three workshops. If you’re faced with a simple problem that has a known cause, just go solve it! But if you have a more challenging issue to tackle, pull out the A3.įor best results, the A3 should be filled out collaboratively in a workshop format. building the critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities of a team.communicating project status reports, and.cross-functional improvement initiatives (e.g., end-to-end process improvement),.It’s hard to get lost or confused when everything is on one sheet of paper. PDCA can also generate a ton of data and analysis that teams struggle to sift through.Ī3 streamlines and visualizes PDCA, which makes it a lot easier for teams to make quick decisions. The model itself is simple enough, but teams are often unsure when to move from one step to the next (or, back to a prior step). If everything looks good, you Act by implementing the plan on a larger scale.Īs you can imagine, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by PDCA. If things didn’t turn out as you hoped, you cycle back to the plan phase and adjust your approach. Next, you Check and analyze the results of the pilot against the objectives identified in the plan. In the Do phase, you test the plan by running an implementation pilot. With PDCA, you identify the problem, assess the current state, and create a Plan to solve the problem and gauge success. PDCA is a Lean technique that has proven effective in driving productivity and efficiency across industries and around the world.
#A3 project management template download#
Download our free A3 template and you’ll have everything you need to get started.Ī3 is a step-by-step approach for applying plan-do-check-act, also known as PDCA or the Deming cycle. It’s called A3 because it fits on a standard sheet of paper. A3 is a versatile problem-solving method and continuous improvement tool.
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