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A3
Connect the problem, evidence and next trial.
How this works
What you’ll get · Connect the current condition, target and next trial on one page. Keep the evidence and review date visible.
Use the tools and save work for free. Data exports and reports require Plus or Teams.Compare plans →
How to write an A3 that holds up
An A3 tells one improvement story on one sheet, so a team and its coach can check the thinking before anyone acts. Work through the seven sections in order; each one leans on the one before it.
1. Background
Say why this problem matters now, who it affects and what it costs in safety, quality, delivery or money. A reader should see in one line why the team is spending time on it.
2. Current condition
State the problem as a measured gap: what happens, where, since when and how much. Go and see the work, and note the measure and its baseline so the result can be checked later.
3. Target
Use the same measure, with a number and a date. Name what must not get worse while you close the gap, such as safety, cycle time or workload.
4. Root cause
List the possible causes and check each one against evidence: supported, ruled out or not yet tested. Ask why until you reach a cause the team can act on. A cause that blames a person usually stops too early.
5. Countermeasures
Tie each countermeasure to a cause the evidence supports. Prefer the strongest rung of the countermeasure ladder: remove the condition, prevent it, or make the process stop itself, before relying on checks or reminders.
6. Plan
Give every chosen countermeasure an owner, a date and a status, so progress is visible at the next review.
7. Follow-up
Compare comparable periods before and after the change, with the same definitions. Then decide: adopt, adapt, extend the trial or abandon. Make the result standard work and share it where the same problem can happen.
How the A3 Studio checks your story
The story check follows the thread from the problem to the result: a measured gap, a target on the same measure, a cause supported by evidence, a chosen countermeasure aimed at that cause, an owner and date for each, a result after the change and a decision. It tells you in plain words what is done, what is missing and what to do next. A complete A3 is not proof that a change worked; the review with your coach still decides.
Check the method with a worked example
Connect the measured gap to the causal evidence and the proposed trial. A before/after average describes a sample; it does not establish causation or lasting improvement.