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Understanding A3 Thinking: A Critical Component of Toyota's PDCA Management System
Winner of a 2009 Shingo Research and Professional Publication Prize .
Notably flexible and brief, the A3 report has proven to be a key tool In Toyota’s successful move toward organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and improvement, especially within its engineering and R&D organizations. The power of the A3 report, however, derives not from the report itself, but rather from the development of the culture and mindset required for the implementation of the A3 system. In Understanding A3 Thinking , the authors first show that the A3 report is an effective tool when it is implemented in conjunction with a PDCA-based management philosophy. Toyota views A3 Reports as just one piece in their PDCA management approach. Second, the authors show that the process leading to the development and management of A3 reports is at least as important as the reports themselves, because of the deep learning and professional development that occurs in the process. And finally, the authors provide a number of examples as well as some very practical advice on how to write and review A3 reports.
Notably flexible and brief, the A3 report has proven to be a key tool In Toyota’s successful move toward organizational efficiency, effectiveness, and improvement, especially within its engineering and R&D organizations. The power of the A3 report, however, derives not from the report itself, but rather from the development of the culture and mindset required for the implementation of the A3 system. In Understanding A3 Thinking , the authors first show that the A3 report is an effective tool when it is implemented in conjunction with a PDCA-based management philosophy. Toyota views A3 Reports as just one piece in their PDCA management approach. Second, the authors show that the process leading to the development and management of A3 reports is at least as important as the reports themselves, because of the deep learning and professional development that occurs in the process. And finally, the authors provide a number of examples as well as some very practical advice on how to write and review A3 reports.
165 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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566 people want to read
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February 15, 2022
The author concludes saying "Good luck with your OWN A3 thinking". It's not teaching A3 problem solving, rather cultivating the A3 thinking. The content be taken for granted or set inside by calling it merely a "common sense" but implementations on floor mostly fail still. Even if they work, it's linked to the successful coordination or trust on that one or of the few. Remove that one or the few, organization falls flat.
Real-time* vs A3 thinking
* Root cause - What's that? Dont waste my time. Just do it (only to see the problem happening again) - see LOGICAL THINKING PROCESS
* I do not have time for data. Just decide on the go or I have X years of experience. My gut feeling precedes data driven decision making (jump to conclusion; problem clear to one person, but not to rest of organization)- see OBJEVTIVITY
* We did some improvements, but KPI has not changed drastically or KPI moved positive or negative. We don't know why (When actions are not pareto driven) - see RESULTS AND PROCESSES
* Mr./ Mrs. X's words have credibility in the organization. I do not need visuals to convince management, just recommendation from X or having X as an ally (No visuals, no reaffirmation to self, no selling to management) - see SYNTHESIS, DISTILLATION AND VISUALIZATION:
* Abc function says xyz is the problem maker and xyz says that it's abc (No consensus, no results) - see ALIGNMENT
* Every function has a different way to approach an issue. One goes by gut, the other goes by narration PowerPoint and the third goes by complicated excel (different formats challenge logical flow to PS and affect knowledge sharing) - see COHERENCY WITHIN AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS
* My team had amazing solution to the problem, but management is indifferent or not all functions are happy (Did we choose the right Problem to tackle? Is solving our problem leading to a different problem?) - see SYSTEMS VIEWPOINT
Excerpts from the book: 7 steps in A3 Thinking
1. LOGICAL THINKING PROCESS: Toyota views that the inability to properly discern between cause and effect as the leading cause of many poor decisions and problems that remained unsolved in daily management. A problem solver must clarify the problem. The first step is often to travel physically to the actual location (genba) where the problem occurred and observe the situation firsthand. Why the problem is a problem? when and what conditions? Talk to involved people. Success in Toyota is to treat quality problems like the police do a murder case.
2. OBJECTIVITY: Employees in Toyota are coached to be detailed, quantitative and specific in their characterizations of the current state or any form of problem solving. The reason is that subjective opinions have no business in science, engineering or the basic process of kaizen.
3. RESULTS AND PROCESS: The unfortunate reality us that organizations face an infinite number of problems to solve buy have only a finite amount of resources available to tackle them. Toyota is actually a results oriented organization. Achieving results accidentally or by happenstance is of little long term value. Results are truly a test if one's understanding. With A3 approach, the process can be refined and repeated for better results in the future
4. SYNTHESIS, DISTILLATION AND VISUALIZATION: A3 Thinking encourages the visualization of the key synthesized information in order to communicate the message clearly and efficiently. With such single page A3 reports, flip chart and employee narration, when Toyota's executive ranks visit the shop floor, it allows them to interact with more groups on highly productive basis
5. ALIGNMENT: Involves 3D communication. Horizontally across the organization, up and down the hierarchy. Toyota places high value on practical consensus. Effective implementation of a change hinges on obtaining prior consensus among the parties involved. Problem solvers are expected to return to that person and explain why their concerns were not addressed. They can even be requested to sacrifice their interest for the greater good
6. COHERENCY WITHIN AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS: Solutions not addressing root causes, problems not important to organization's goals etc. A3 reports promotes logical flow of information to prevent such pitfalls. Having consistent approach across the organization speeds up communication and establishes shared understanding
7. SYSTEMS VIEWPOINT: The purpose of the course of action to promote one organizational goal at expense of others will not be favorable. A problem solver should understand the broader picture and make recommendations to promote overall good of the organization
A3 defined after PDCA can be used as sole management tool to drive focussed improvements. It promotes valuable data driven thinking across the organization, speeds up communication and enhances collaboration between teams.
Real-time* vs A3 thinking
* Root cause - What's that? Dont waste my time. Just do it (only to see the problem happening again) - see LOGICAL THINKING PROCESS
* I do not have time for data. Just decide on the go or I have X years of experience. My gut feeling precedes data driven decision making (jump to conclusion; problem clear to one person, but not to rest of organization)- see OBJEVTIVITY
* We did some improvements, but KPI has not changed drastically or KPI moved positive or negative. We don't know why (When actions are not pareto driven) - see RESULTS AND PROCESSES
* Mr./ Mrs. X's words have credibility in the organization. I do not need visuals to convince management, just recommendation from X or having X as an ally (No visuals, no reaffirmation to self, no selling to management) - see SYNTHESIS, DISTILLATION AND VISUALIZATION:
* Abc function says xyz is the problem maker and xyz says that it's abc (No consensus, no results) - see ALIGNMENT
* Every function has a different way to approach an issue. One goes by gut, the other goes by narration PowerPoint and the third goes by complicated excel (different formats challenge logical flow to PS and affect knowledge sharing) - see COHERENCY WITHIN AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS
* My team had amazing solution to the problem, but management is indifferent or not all functions are happy (Did we choose the right Problem to tackle? Is solving our problem leading to a different problem?) - see SYSTEMS VIEWPOINT
Excerpts from the book: 7 steps in A3 Thinking
1. LOGICAL THINKING PROCESS: Toyota views that the inability to properly discern between cause and effect as the leading cause of many poor decisions and problems that remained unsolved in daily management. A problem solver must clarify the problem. The first step is often to travel physically to the actual location (genba) where the problem occurred and observe the situation firsthand. Why the problem is a problem? when and what conditions? Talk to involved people. Success in Toyota is to treat quality problems like the police do a murder case.
2. OBJECTIVITY: Employees in Toyota are coached to be detailed, quantitative and specific in their characterizations of the current state or any form of problem solving. The reason is that subjective opinions have no business in science, engineering or the basic process of kaizen.
3. RESULTS AND PROCESS: The unfortunate reality us that organizations face an infinite number of problems to solve buy have only a finite amount of resources available to tackle them. Toyota is actually a results oriented organization. Achieving results accidentally or by happenstance is of little long term value. Results are truly a test if one's understanding. With A3 approach, the process can be refined and repeated for better results in the future
4. SYNTHESIS, DISTILLATION AND VISUALIZATION: A3 Thinking encourages the visualization of the key synthesized information in order to communicate the message clearly and efficiently. With such single page A3 reports, flip chart and employee narration, when Toyota's executive ranks visit the shop floor, it allows them to interact with more groups on highly productive basis
5. ALIGNMENT: Involves 3D communication. Horizontally across the organization, up and down the hierarchy. Toyota places high value on practical consensus. Effective implementation of a change hinges on obtaining prior consensus among the parties involved. Problem solvers are expected to return to that person and explain why their concerns were not addressed. They can even be requested to sacrifice their interest for the greater good
6. COHERENCY WITHIN AND CONSISTENCY ACROSS: Solutions not addressing root causes, problems not important to organization's goals etc. A3 reports promotes logical flow of information to prevent such pitfalls. Having consistent approach across the organization speeds up communication and establishes shared understanding
7. SYSTEMS VIEWPOINT: The purpose of the course of action to promote one organizational goal at expense of others will not be favorable. A problem solver should understand the broader picture and make recommendations to promote overall good of the organization
A3 defined after PDCA can be used as sole management tool to drive focussed improvements. It promotes valuable data driven thinking across the organization, speeds up communication and enhances collaboration between teams.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2009
This book is outstanding. I initially thought it would be a quick read since the page count is short, but I found myself slowly savoring it. This book is like a good wine where you appreciate the textures and nuances if you take it slow.
I suggest this book to all Lean practitioners, most project managers, people who use data to understand problems and show improvements, people who like to draw, and anybody else that enjoys the thought process behind problem solving.
This is a great next book for fans of THE BACK OF THE NAPKIN.
The authors offer profound insights to A3 thinking and structure. They also paint a deeper understanding of the thinking at Toyota. I particularly liked the explanation of nemawashi and how the A3 author must return to those where their concerns were not addressed to explain why.
I found the thinking behind data to be fascinating. It is nice to see how much or how little is used. The authors even give a nice overview of Tufte's graph theories while providing an easy template to choose the best graph to match your communication goal.
For project managers, the A3 project status template is worth exploring. I have used dashboards in the past but this structure paints a better picture while ensuring the organization's objectives are still being met (projects can chug along way past this simple goal and this report keeps it grounded).
Last but not least, my organization is in the infancy of launching A3 to our mix of Improvement Workshops and Value Stream work. This book offers practical suggestions for starting A3 at your enterprise.
I suggest this book to all Lean practitioners, most project managers, people who use data to understand problems and show improvements, people who like to draw, and anybody else that enjoys the thought process behind problem solving.
This is a great next book for fans of THE BACK OF THE NAPKIN.
The authors offer profound insights to A3 thinking and structure. They also paint a deeper understanding of the thinking at Toyota. I particularly liked the explanation of nemawashi and how the A3 author must return to those where their concerns were not addressed to explain why.
I found the thinking behind data to be fascinating. It is nice to see how much or how little is used. The authors even give a nice overview of Tufte's graph theories while providing an easy template to choose the best graph to match your communication goal.
For project managers, the A3 project status template is worth exploring. I have used dashboards in the past but this structure paints a better picture while ensuring the organization's objectives are still being met (projects can chug along way past this simple goal and this report keeps it grounded).
Last but not least, my organization is in the infancy of launching A3 to our mix of Improvement Workshops and Value Stream work. This book offers practical suggestions for starting A3 at your enterprise.
April 7, 2016
Ensina sobre a utilização do PDCA estruturado com a ferramenta A3 da Toyota. Gostei muito pois transmite a ideia de que é necessário ter maior rigor científico no cotidiano das empresas, fugindo um pouco da retórica da "arte de administrar". Aplicar o PDCA é aplicar algo que está embasado no método científico.
September 3, 2016
Great intro
Pretty good introduction. Very actionable advice and tips. Nevertheless, I would only recommend it if you have read The Toyota Way, Learning to See and/or similar books on Lean beforehand. Something else to know is that this book, like the others mentioned, focus on manufacturing. You will have to translate the concepts to your domain (e.g. Software in my case)
Pretty good introduction. Very actionable advice and tips. Nevertheless, I would only recommend it if you have read The Toyota Way, Learning to See and/or similar books on Lean beforehand. Something else to know is that this book, like the others mentioned, focus on manufacturing. You will have to translate the concepts to your domain (e.g. Software in my case)
on-hold
September 18, 2011Recommended reading for work.
April 22, 2023
An ok book but pretty short and not massive content, here is my summary:
Understanding A3 Thinking by Durward K. Sobek II and Art Smalley emphasizes the importance of A3 reports, which are intentionally brief and help to reconcile multiple viewpoints in cross-departmental situations. This thinking approach involves starting with one's own perspective of the situation, collecting objective facts, and discussing the picture with others to verify its accuracy.
Be aware a natural reaction, if a person feels his or her representation is right, is to view the other's as "wrong." This can quickly devolve into the blame game that is common in situations involving cross-departmental participation. A3 thinking, attempts to reconcile those multiple viewpoints, as it has the view that includes multiple perspectives tends to be more objective than any single viewpoint. As a team, collecting objective facts and discussing the overall picture with others helps to verify that the picture is accurate.
The A3 report also establishes a logical flow from one section to the next, promoting coherence in the problem-solving approach. Furthermore, the A3 approach recognizes the importance of both the results and the process, and takes a systems viewpoint, which is highly valued at Toyota. Finally, observing the problem and its context first hand is highly emphasized at Toyota as it is an effective way to confront one's own assumptions, misconceptions, and biases.
YouTube Shorts Summary:
Understanding A3 Thinking by Durward K. Sobek II and Art Smalley emphasizes the importance of A3 reports, which are intentionally brief and help to reconcile multiple viewpoints in cross-departmental situations. This thinking approach involves starting with one's own perspective of the situation, collecting objective facts, and discussing the picture with others to verify its accuracy.
Be aware a natural reaction, if a person feels his or her representation is right, is to view the other's as "wrong." This can quickly devolve into the blame game that is common in situations involving cross-departmental participation. A3 thinking, attempts to reconcile those multiple viewpoints, as it has the view that includes multiple perspectives tends to be more objective than any single viewpoint. As a team, collecting objective facts and discussing the overall picture with others helps to verify that the picture is accurate.
The A3 report also establishes a logical flow from one section to the next, promoting coherence in the problem-solving approach. Furthermore, the A3 approach recognizes the importance of both the results and the process, and takes a systems viewpoint, which is highly valued at Toyota. Finally, observing the problem and its context first hand is highly emphasized at Toyota as it is an effective way to confront one's own assumptions, misconceptions, and biases.
YouTube Shorts Summary:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2021
Great book for understanding the process and the culture behind A3 thinking. A3 thinking is used as a way to think through and get feedback on problems solving. The world of software and uncertainty requires considerable adaptation of some of the concepts - i.e. spending considerable time finding a root cause for a single non repeating event may not be valuable. However, the thinking and feedback process focused on better understanding the system and any vulnerabilities will be valuable in many cases
July 29, 2021
Very insightful book describing the thinking process behind the A3 and it describes very well what the PDCA really is. I'd wish more people within organizations invest in education for approaching the overall continuous improvement in this way. If this way of working is to really be successful in practice, the whole organization needs to adopt it though, but even for individuals, it can still be a good way to improve the thinking process and start the change.
November 4, 2017
Good book for overall take on the pdca solving problem tool. A little bit disappointed cause I expected the authours would spend more time on how to analyse a problem but it was more about understanding how a PDCA works in generall. I thought also that chapters 4 and 5 were very unnecessary when there are so much more interesting aspects to talk about regarding the pdca tool.
May 9, 2020
Very interesting book with general information and practical examples of the work and thinking behind A3 reports metodology.
It serves well as a guide and reference book to look up whenever the need to write such a report comes up.
As the title suggest the focus is on the thinking behind although practical suggestions are given on form and how to as well..
It serves well as a guide and reference book to look up whenever the need to write such a report comes up.
As the title suggest the focus is on the thinking behind although practical suggestions are given on form and how to as well..
December 27, 2018
It’s a good tool.
March 10, 2025
good I guess 🧐
August 24, 2020
A3 Simplified
The Authors did a wonderful job of simplifying A3 and provide three separate formats. It was a quick read with many examples
The Authors did a wonderful job of simplifying A3 and provide three separate formats. It was a quick read with many examples
December 29, 2018
The lean is the school of austerity. And this book is clearly in this mindset. Don't expect a fun reading. But if you want to really understand the fundamentals of the problem-solving way of thinking, this is the book. It shows how this process is achieved through the famous A3, and the clear and compelling examples help a lot. A must read.
Ma note de lecture en Français ici
Ma note de lecture en Français ici
March 16, 2013
This book amazingly describes HOW the entire Toyota Production System came to be... Punchline: it's applying the scientific method to problem solving in a collaborative/consensus-building method for root-cause analysis of the system that caused the problem. It then discusses 3 types of reports: problem-solving, proposals, and status reports and the differences in the thinking approaches in the PDCA cycle for each of these. I really enjoyed how this concisely written book provides some much information on the concepts used.
March 22, 2014
This book is easy to read and it explains with detail how to draw an A3 diagram. It gives you valuable adviser on how the information shall be displayed or the structure.
In reference to the thinking part of the title it only surfaces the problem, mentioning root cause analysis or fishbone analysis but from my point of view it should dig into detail due to the fact that A3 is a tool for representing a way of thinking.
this book shouldn't be read from cover to cover and it would be used as reference
In reference to the thinking part of the title it only surfaces the problem, mentioning root cause analysis or fishbone analysis but from my point of view it should dig into detail due to the fact that A3 is a tool for representing a way of thinking.
this book shouldn't be read from cover to cover and it would be used as reference
Read
August 2, 2011Binnen Toyota is iedereen getraind en doordrongen van de cultuur van continu verbeteren. Het PDCA principe (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is dan ook een van de belangrijkste elementen van de Toyota bedrijfscultuur.
Naast dit PDCA principe wordt een flexibel en zeer precies rapporteringssysteem gebruikt dat in alle opzichten getrouwd is met het PDCA proces.
Alle rapporten moeten en kunnen passen op één zijde van een A3 papier.
Naast dit PDCA principe wordt een flexibel en zeer precies rapporteringssysteem gebruikt dat in alle opzichten getrouwd is met het PDCA proces.
Alle rapporten moeten en kunnen passen op één zijde van een A3 papier.
July 7, 2015
Awesome book and well deserving of its Shingo Award!
I had read this close to a decade ago when I was first exposed to a3 thinking. At that time there was a lot of buzz going around about a3. But then like other things it kind of disappeared for a awhile. Good news if you follow lean blogs...It's back! I know there are many book options, but I would strongly recommend newbies start with this book.
I had read this close to a decade ago when I was first exposed to a3 thinking. At that time there was a lot of buzz going around about a3. But then like other things it kind of disappeared for a awhile. Good news if you follow lean blogs...It's back! I know there are many book options, but I would strongly recommend newbies start with this book.
March 4, 2021
Good introduction to A3 thinking/planning. The first 30 pages are the most essential as they outline the entire process. The balance of the book goes into examples of different types of A3 documents. I read the whole book, but did not do the exercises. Overall, I recommend the book if you are looking for knowledge on this process.
March 12, 2015
This is the must-read for anyone involved in problem solving or continuous improvement. (And shouldn't that be everyone?)
December 31, 2012
If you want to get to the heart of the TPS then this book is essential.
March 20, 2013
very nice book , important for any field of industry in order to continually improve itself.
November 27, 2013
A very dry/dull book. Lots of repetition and tediously drawn out explanations. I'd recommend dipping into it for reference purposes rather than doing what I did and reading it cover to cover.
September 3, 2014
Content is applicable to my job, but it could have been way more engaging than it was.
August 5, 2015
Good points, but repetitive. Could've been an article vs a book.
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