8-Step A3 Practical Problem Solving Methodology (Toyota Business Practices)

This article will unpack A3 Practical Problem-Solving (a.k.a 8-Step, A3 Thinking, Toyota Business Practices).  As you go through it, look out for and explore any of the links in green text to understand other related resources.

Introduction and Benefits of Practical Problem Solving:

• Practical problem solving helps establish a common understanding of problems and removes time wasted in debates and discussions, enabling organizations to focus on solving problems.
• Derived from the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) approach, and through planning, root cause analysis, and mistake-proofing, it ensures problems don't reoccur.  
• Companies like Toyota still mainly use practical problem solving to improve their processes.
• Widely accepted and appreciated by teams, senior management, customers, and suppliers.
• There's a general consensus among OpEx experts that teams can solve more than 90% of their problems using this approach. 

Understanding Problems:

• Companies and teams need to understand what a problem is and that there's different types of problems. 
• You can classify problems into three types: not achieving the standard, achieving the standard but needing a higher one, and inconsistent performance to the standard.

Other Problem-Solving Approaches:

• "Just do it" for small, quick fixes.
• Ford's Eight Disciplines (8D) for tackling engineering/quality problems.
• Kaizen Events that can be used in conjunction with A3 Problem-Solving.
• The Six Sigma DMAIC process for addressing variation and defects.

The 8-Step Practical Problem Solving Process:

• The eight steps:
  1. Clarifying the problem and describing the current situation.
  2. Breaking down a big problem into smaller, more specific problems and studying the process.
  3. Setting a challenging yet achievable target.
  4. Analyzing the root cause
  5. Creating a plan to remove the root cause through multiple countermeasures.
  6. Implementing the countermeasures quickly as a team.
  7. Evaluating the results and the process to determine the effectiveness of the countermeasure.
  8. Standardizing success and setting future targets for improvement.

Benefits of A3 Reports

• Emphasizes visual, one-page reports for various applications, such as problem-solving, project management, and continuous improvement.
• Designed to convey the entire PDCA process clearly and concisely on a single page.
• A3 reports are well-received and offer several benefits:
  • Clear and concise communication of project status.
  • Alignment with company goals and strategy.
  • Constantly updated, providing visibility into progress.
  • Effective in problem-solving and accountability.
  • Useful in gaining support from senior management.
  • Enhance a company's reputation during customer audits.
  • Improve relationships with suppliers.

Structure of A3 Reports

• The A3 report is divided into sections, reflecting the PDCA cycle.
• The Plan phase section focuses on the Plan phase and includes sections for:
  • Theme
  • Background
  • Current Condition
  • Goal
  • Root Cause Analysis
• The Do, Check, and Act phases and includes sections for:
  • Countermeasures
  • Effect Confirmation
  • Follow-up Actions
• The A3 structure ensures comprehensive coverage of the problem-solving process.

It's not about a report!

• The report is just a communication tool, a coaching aid between the project leader (team) and solving a particular problem and their coach.  
• It's also a communication tool to bring other people (stakeholders) along the process, and for everyone to learn from it and build consensus on facts, root causes, solutions, and sustainment.
• What you shouldn't do is just create A3 reports to hang on a wall, and nobody sees it.
• What you shouldn't do is populate the A3 report after the problem-solving process takes place.
• The A3 Report (or Board) is to be used concurrently as the tool to carry the team through the process.
• It takes practice and training on additional problem-solving and facilitation techniques that help the leader go through the 8 steps.

Course Forward:

Do you or your colleagues have any of these common Problem-Solving struggles?

# 5 Why Struggles
# Fishbone struggles
# Countermeasure development struggles
# Team-Based Approach struggles
# Use of Report/Template Struggles
# Problem recurrence struggles
# Change/Sustainment struggles

If someone can answer “Yes” to any of those questions… It’s very likely they haven’t developed these skills….

- Explain to a team how to do a 5 Why Analysis, the keys to success, and the common pitfalls to avoid.
- Explain to the team how to use a fishbone diagram, how to brainstorm, how to "afinitize", and how to multi-vote.  
- Explain to a team how to come up with potential solutions, how to evaluate them based on impact/effort, how to multi-vote, and how to develop an action plan for the selected solution.
- Deal with poor attendance as a meeting facilitator.   What to do and why, focusing on how to prevent it in the first place.
- Deal with and prevent poor participation as a meeting facilitator.  What to do and why, focusing on how to prevent it in the first place.
- Lead an A3 Problem-Solving Project and Meetings using an A3 Problem-Solving tool/process.
- Do a process map (flow chart as a minimum) of a process being analyzed.
- Explain to a team...- what Standard Work is- how to create/update it - and how to sustain long-term

Assess your Problem-Solving Skills
- Either for yourself, your team, or your colleagues
- Receive a Summary Report
- FREE and Easy!

Here's the link to try it out:  https://www.beltcourse.com/team-problem-solving-skills-assessment

And please consider sharing it with others!

Sources - Best YouTube Videos on A3 Practical Problem-Solving:

Sources - Best Books on A3 Practical Problem-Solving:

• "Understanding A3 Thinking" by Durwood Sobek and Art Smalley,
• "Managing to Learn" by John Shook.
• "A3 Problem Solving" by Jamie Flinchbaugh.