A3 Management

An A3 report is a problem-solving tool used in lean companies like Toyota. It follows a standardized format on an 11x17 inch piece of paper to tell a story from background to proposed countermeasures. The A3 encourages identifying root causes, considering various solutions, planning implementation, and following up on results. It is not a rigid template but a flexible knowledge-sharing mechanism. Effective A3 reports ask and answer key questions at each step to fully understand issues and achieve goals.