Creating a Lean R&D System

71

5

The A3 in Developing R&D Thinking

DESCRIPTION OF THE A3

e A3 report, named aer the A3 size of paper

*

on which it is written, is

nothing more than an explicit, single-page format for solving problems

or answering questions using the scientic method (Figure5.1).

†

e A3

has ve main sections. e rst section is devoted entirely to dening the

problem or question being posed. e second is devoted to understanding

the circumstances surrounding the problem or question. e third section

helps reframe that understanding into a possible path, process, or future

state in which that problem no longer exists. e fourth section denes

an experimental path (the learning plan) to test and achieve this future

state, including the parameters that dene what success would look like in

that future state. e nal section describes the results of the experimental

section compared with the success criteria, describes open or unresolved

issues, and, where possible, describes potential approaches to resolve those

issues.

ese ve sections contain all of the elements of the scientic method.

As such, it enables deep problem solving on one easily created, shared, and

digested sheet.

*

For those not familiar with the A3 paper size, it is fairly large. A3 is approximately double the size

of a standard U.S. letter-size sheet. (A3 measures approximately 11 × 17 inches.)

†

Although all A3s have the same basic sections, there is no “ocial” layout for the A3. People and

organizations have developed variations to suit their specic problems and their own organiza-

tion’s needs. In this chapter, I use a format developed at Pzer. It is similar to a standard Toyota

format (see John Shook, Managing to Learn: Using the A3 Management Process [Cambridge, MA:

e Lean Enterprise Institute, 2009]), with language altered slightly to avoid confusion with other

Pzer terminology.

72 • Creating a Lean R&D System

Title (the critical question to be answered or problem to be solved)

Va

lue (also business case or background

section)

Goal/Target Condition(s)

Future State/Proposed Countermeasures

Learning Plan

Results/Countermeasures/Future Implications

Cu

rrent State

Analysis/S

ynthesis

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•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

1

2

3

n

...

ExperimentExpected Outcome Owner D

ue Date

•

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•

•

•

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FIGURE 5.1

A typical A3 layout as described in the text and used in R&D projects.

e A3 in Developing R&D inking • 73

PURPOSE OF THE A3

At one page, the most obvious purpose of the A3 is to facilitate concise

rapid communication. Interestingly, it is not primarily the communica-

tion of results that the A3 is designed to convey. Instead, the A3 is designed

to communicate the thinking process that someone is using to solve a prob-

lem. Showing the A3 author’s thinking process has four main values:

1. It facilitates practice in (and reection on) thinking and problem-

solving skills by the author.

2. It facilitates engagement of others in the problem-solving process.

3. It facilitates mentorship of the author by others engaged in the prob-

lem-solving process.

4. It provides a simple format for archiving in-progress and completed

learning cycles.

In the previous chapter, we stated that one of the commitments that

Lean scientists have is to continue to explore and improve their scientic

problem-solving/question-answering skills. Just like a journal provides a

practice environment for writers to sharpen their ability to convey mean-

ing through words, the A3 provides a practice environment for research-

ers to practice scientic thinking. By writing down and making explicit

their approaches to solving individual problems, A3 authors can easily

see their muddled or incomplete thinking. ey can identify new areas of

inquiry, gaps in rigor, and opportunities to explore alternative possibilities

that would not otherwise occur. In a way, scientic problem solving is a

lot like doing higher math in a car. It is possible to “carry the two” while

driving, but it is a lot easier to stop, pull out a sheet of paper to write down

the equations, and work through the problem with visual reminders. e

A3 provides those visual reminders, supporting the scientist’s need to roll

things around in his mind, plugging together, removing and adapting

ideas as they ow through his mind. It is a powerful self-learning tool.

A very intentional purpose of the A3, the power of which proved sur-

prising in R&D, was the ability of the A3 to engage others in problem solv-

ing. It is not unusual in the corporate world to go through reorganization,

and we were not immune to such events. During one such reorganization,

I had been working with a team that had developed a robust set of A3s to

help guide the science behind their project. e team lost 40 percent of its