A3 Thinking

Workbook
A3 Thinking Overview
An overview of the A3 Thinking course.

A workbook intended to accompany the Facilitator’s Guides for this course. This guide includes the Key Points from
the video, discussion items, quiz questions, and helpful tips. Using Gemba Academy’s online learning content, any
participant can use this workbook to facilitate learning in all courses.

July 2017
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Review

What is an A3 Report?
• An A3 is a ____________________ report used to tell a story of how a problem or situation
was improved by the methodological application of _______________.
• The report gets its name from the A3 paper size used in some countries, which is about 297mm
by 490mm (11” x 17”)
• The power of the report isn’t in its size, but the fact that everything is presented on a
_______________ piece of paper.
• Done correctly, the A3 allows the team to identify the most critical elements of a problem by
following PDCA.
• The A3 isn’t going to solve all of your problems or improve anything by itself. Instead it’s the
critical thinking, collaboration, and following PDCA which adds value.
• The A3 format is flexible, but the A3 process is standard; every A3 report is slightly different.
• A3 reports can be used for many things, such as problem-solving, capital expenditure requests,
new hire justification, project planning, and annual planning.

Why Should We Use One?

• All of the information is on one page. This helps us keep things concise and maintain focus on
what’s important.
• It allows us to use visuals and charts in a concise manner.
• It also allows us to build collaboration and consensus.

A Typical A3 Report Layout

• The header section of the report identifies the _______________ of the A3, and possibly also
the name of the area, the product, and/or the company.
• Describe the current state: what’s the problem we’re trying to solve? Also use this section to
identify the gap between the _______________ & the _______________ state.

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• Document background and supporting data, share the basic facts and figures, and use helpful
charts & graphs.
• Include a _______________ analysis section, using 5 Why and other PPS methods; this
should always lead to action.
• Document the action plan: list _______________ for each root cause, and list who’s
responsible for the action, what the action is, and when it will be done.
• Check and verify whether the countermeasures were successful. Again, note who’s responsible
for doing this, when it will be done, how it will be done, and how often it will be done.
• In the context of PDCA, the left side of this A3 is focused on Plan (or the first 5 steps of Practical
Problem Solving), while the right side is focused on the Do, Check, and Act phases (or the last 3
steps of PPS).
• Feel free to experiment with different layouts of the A3: you might try a three-column
approach, or devote more space to the current state.

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Reflection
Now that you understand better what an A3 report is and what it can do, how would adopting it
benefit your company?
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How would using an A3 report help you in your daily work?

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