Office of Organizational Effectiveness5717 Corbett Hall, Orono, ME 04469

207-581-5443thinkmissionexcellence.maine.edu/lean

A3LEANCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

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WHAT IS A3?

It’s not as mysterious as it sounds!

It is a communication tool

Simply an 11x17 piece of paper (in the U.S.; 297mm x 420mm in other countries)

Used to demonstrate your improvement project in one page

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5 TYPES OF A3 REPORTS

Knowledge Capture

Problem Solving

Proposal

Documentation Replacement

Status Report4

KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE

Also called Knowledge Brief or K-Brief

Flexible format

Structured in a way that makes sense for the content

Can use a template or not

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PROBLEM SOLVING

Most widely used format

Tells a story about the problem, the analysis, and the recommendations

Templates are commonly used, but flexibility to resize or change them is important

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PROPOSAL

Can resemble a Problem Solving A3 in layout, but does not focus on the analysis of the problem

Unlike the Problem Solving A3, the Proposal A3 recommends action and seeks a specific decision

Informs about risks, required resources, and plan for implementation

Usually follows a standard template

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DOCUMENTATION REPLACEMENT

Format is usually designed by the people requesting the information

Meant to replace other reports

Some examples include product portfolios, technical specifications, business case analysis, etc.

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Highly standardized

Designed to be quick to update

Minimal narrative text

Embedded objects can be used to link spreadsheets and performance charts without retyping

Best if co-designed by those involved to ensure it meets needs

STATUS REPORT

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SOME EXAMPLES

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Lean Enterprise Institute

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TRY CREATING YOUR OWN A3!

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Office of Organizational Effectiveness5717 Corbett Hall, Orono, ME 04469

207-581-5443thinkmissionexcellence.maine.edu/lean

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