Page 409 - The Toyota Way Fieldbook

382 THE TOYOTA WAY FIELDBOOK

the date, and any other relevant information such as plant or department. Then
the page is divided into two parts down the middle.
In most cases, the Problem Definition and Description (the problem statement)
and the Problem Analysis fill the entire left-hand side of the sheet, as can be seen
in the figure. Of this half of the paper, the bottom two-thirds is generally reserved
for the analysis, and the top one-third for the problem situation. The analysis
is the heart of the process, and most of the space should be dedicated to it.
Without a thorough and accurate analysis, any solutions implemented will be
misguided and won’t yield an effective result. In some cases, if the problem is
especially complex and involves many issues, the analysis may spill over to the
right side of the paper. These are guidelines, not hard and fast rules because the
format should fit the story, not the other way around. If a section of the story
requires more or less space, then adjust accordingly.
The right-hand side of the paper is generally reserved for the Implementation
Plan, as the figure shows, the Results, and the Future Steps. The results section
usually fills most of the right-hand side. This represents the relative importance of
each section in the process. The entire purpose of the activity is to improve results,
so this should be the focus of the right side of the A3. Remember when we said
that if the analysis is thorough and accurate the root causes would be obvious? If
the root causes are obvious, the solutions will be as well. This connection must be
clear in the story. If it is, there’s less need to outline the details of implementation.
Think about it this way: If you get the analysis right and have effectively imple-
mented a countermeasure, the desired result should occur. If the result was less
than expected, there is either a flaw in analysis, identification of effective counter-
measures, or poor execution.
If space is at a premium for a complex problem, the future steps section can be
minimized with little impact on the overall A3. Again, the actual space utilized
for each section of a problem-solving activity should be based on the significance
of the material to the overall story. The most important information should con-
sume the greatest amount of space.

Formatting Tips

Completion of A3s is somewhat of an art. There isn’t a single way to fill one out,
but there are a few guidelines that help make the information easier to under-
stand. We have covered many of these in Chapters 13 through 17, but they bear
repeating here:

◆ Avoid excessive verbiage. A picture is worth a thousand words. Present
data in a graphic form that is quickly and easily understood.
◆ Use a consistent format for similar information. Pay particular attention
to the scale on charts. Similar data compared with a different scale can be
visually misleading and very confusing.