Hoshin Planning ◾ 177
◾ Hoshin planning A3: Used to summarize department and company
hoshins
◾ Problem solving A3: Used to summarize problems and countermeasures
◾ Proposal A3: Used to present new ideas
◾ Current status A3: Used to summarize current condition of a hoshin,
problem, or concern
Over time, I began to understand that A3 was a way of thinking rooted
in PDCA, nemawashi, and catchball. A good A3 reflects a sound grasp of
the situation and mastery of core Lean tools and thinking. But the piece of
paper is less important than the process.
History of Report Writing
Report writing has developed over the past century in support of the mod-
ern organization. Different formats have been used, including
◾ Discussion papers
◾ Issues notes
◾