Office of Organizational Effectiveness5717 Corbett Hall, Orono, ME 04469
207-581-5443thinkmissionexcellence.maine.edu/lean
A3LEANCONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
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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