A3 Problem Solving: Applying Lean Thinking

by Jamie Flinchbaugh

This ebook on A3 Problem Solving is meant to demystify some of what people know and hear about A3s. In the past 5 years, it has become one of the most prominent lean tools. But while the work itself is hard, the method doesn't have to be as complicated as it is made. In this ebook, we get to the core of what it's all about, how you use it, and connect it to lean thinking throughout. Afterall, a template is useless without the thinking.

45 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

As Founder of JFlinch, Jamie Flinchbaugh has helped purpose-driven leaders craft effective, resilient organizations at over 300 companies. Leveraging more than 30-years of experience and helping build over 20 companies, Jamie collaborates with leaders and their teams to bridge capability, strategic, cultural, and systems gaps so that they can safely span potential pitfalls and have a purposeful impact on their organizations.

Jamie has helped leaders across a wide spectrum of industries including healthcare, utilities, technology, consumer products, and professional services, including Harley-Davidson, Intel, Mars, Amazon, Crayola, Fidelity, Whirlpool, among many others.

Jamie is the author of People Solve Problems, The Power of Every Person, Every Day, Every Problem and co-author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Lean, Lessons from the Road and is the host of the podcast, People Solve Problems and the co-host of the Lean Whiskey podcast. He currently lives in Bucks County, PA with his wife, Jill Triani. Together they have three children, Emma, Jack, and Ben.

Reviews

[Fred Leland]

This was a very good book on how too do an A3. An A3 is described in the book as a visible thinking process that helps you indentify problems and shows you more of how you thought as you moved through the problem to the recommendations. The great thing is an A3 which is named after the 11X 17 sheet of paper its written on is just that a one stop, one page look at a problem and the thinking surrounding its solution based on the current state of things in your particular organization.

I found the book very helpful as my normal process of thinking through a problem is on the fly and intuitive and the A3 helps in bringing some logic to the table of problem solving and takes out some of the emotion involved. The A3 is most powerful when its done with a group and shared throughout the organization. An A3 is often much better as a collaborative process than a solo one. Engage people, get input, develop high agreement and helps you to move forward as a team. The A3 is a great problem solving tool. I think it woud be a great tool for planning and training to help develop decision makers. also it is useful in the after action review process, in an attempt to identify lessons learned and adaptations that need to be made. I highly recommend the book.

[Bob Wallner]

I thought that this book was well written, well organized and provided the reader with some good information on what a3 problem solving is all about.

Where I thought this ebook was lacking, was in visual demonstrations. The author talks considerably about using pencil and paper and visual aids, but uses very little in the book. Having more pencil sketch visuals, in my opinion, would have given this a 5-star review.

Great first place to go when starting with a3 problem-solving.

[Erik]

A good, small book about a good, small problem solving technique.

A3 is a discipline for problem solving used at Toyota. It is effectively a small set of disciplines that help people think through a problem and then communicate the solution.

The book was short and to the point, and did a good job of describing the A3 process.

[Tom Lous]

In itself A3 Problem Solving seems a good clean approach.
It is however rehashing / rephrasing a lot from Lean, PDCA, 5 whys, etc.
This doesn't make it a bad book, it gives you a nice way to solve problems in and of itself.
It is not however a round and complete work like Eric Ries's "Lean Startup"
Since it's only 65 pages and very to the point and couple of examples, it is well worth the read.

[Martin]

A great introduction to A3 Thinking (remember, this is a thinking process, not a document process), written in a lightweight, easily digested format.

Sold on a Lean Publishing "Pay what you think this is worth" basis, this is easily worth many times the minimum suggested price.

[Jack Vinson]

Great, short resource on using the A3 technique for problem solving. Once again, the visualize-your-work idea of Lean shows up as being a powerful concept.

[Aleksey Trufanov]

Short but very useful book on problem solving. Method can be applied not only by organizations for their needs, but also by any people in his/her work and everyday life. Explanation is very clear.

[Francisco Ibáñez]

buen libro, corto y preciso. No tiene mucha profundidad en lo que desarrolla pero da buenos consejos

[Oscar M Zapata Arango]

Excellent and simple guide for beginning an improvement culture

Easy and fast to read. Perfect for a great beginning in a lean implementation. It should be for continuous reference

[Miguel]

Good book, although very basic on its content.

[Joel]

Toyota Continuous Improvement like.
Good, short & sweet. Get's the point across without waffling.