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Toyota-style A3 problem-solving worksheet on one page. Seven sections in two columns: background, current condition, goal, root cause analysis, countermeasures, implementation plan, and follow-up. Print on A3 landscape when you are done.
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FAQ
A3 is the international paper size, 11.7 by 16.5 inches, roughly the size of two letter sheets side by side. Toyota chose it because it forces the problem-solver to fit the entire problem and solution onto one page. The constraint is the point: if you cannot summarize the problem on one A3, you do not understand it well enough yet.
Left side is what is happening (sections 1-4). Right side is what you are going to do about it (sections 5-7). The left half is analysis. The right half is action. A reader should be able to walk to the right column on Monday and know exactly what to do, with the left as supporting evidence.
A project plan starts with a solution and tracks execution. An A3 starts with a gap and forces you to understand it before proposing a solution. The discipline is in sections 2 (current condition with data) and 4 (root cause). Most failed improvement projects skipped one of those two and went straight to countermeasures.
Most of the time is in the left column. Investigating sections 1 through 4 with a 5 Why or fishbone at the line takes 8 to 20 hours. Once that is done, the right column follows quickly. If you wrote the whole A3 in one sitting, the countermeasures will fix the wrong thing.
For trivial problems, use 5 Why or just fix it. For multi-week projects with budget and cross-functional teams, use a project charter. A3 is the right tool for medium-complexity recurring problems where one or two operators can investigate and propose a fix with leadership review. Most plant problems live in this middle band.
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