How to get rid of assumptions, egos and opinions and base your change initiatives on data instead. A3 thinking allows you to craft strategies for change and improvement. Here is a short overview of how to do it.

1. In Chuck Norris We Trust, All
Others Bring Data
How not to argue and get some data
instead
Hanno Jarvet

2. Chuck Norris
• Chuck Norris doesn’t call the wrong number.
You answer the wrong phone.
• Chuck Norris does not estimate, he knows.
• When Chuck Norris says “done”, then it’s
“done”.
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3. Expected results
After the session the participants are better able to:
• improve efficiency
• build transparency
• increase the quality of the output and customer
satisfaction
• set strategies for future improvements
• create accountabilities
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4. What is Lean?
• Deliver continually increasing customer
value
– Expending continually decreasing effort
– By leveraging the time and energy of bright,
creative workers
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6. Theme: Is there a clear theme for the report that reflects the contents? Owner
Mentor
Background Date
1.
2.
Is the topic relevant to the organization's objectives
Is there any other reason for working on this topic (e.g., learning)? P
Countermeasures (Experiments)
1. Is the analysis comprehensive at a broad level?
2. Is the analysis detailed enough and did it probe deeply enough on the right
Current Condition issues?
1. Is the current condition clear and logically depicted in a visual manner? 3. Is there evidence of proper five-whys thinking about the true cause?
2. How could the current condition be made more clear for the audience? 4. Has cause and effect been demonstrated or linked in some manner?
3. Is the current condition depiction framing a problem or situation to be 5. Are all the relevant factors considered (human, machine, material, method,
resolved? environment, measurement, and so on?
4. What is the actual problem in the current condition?
5. Are the facts of the situation clear, or are there just observations and
opinions?
6. Is the problem quantified in some manner or is it too qualitative?
L Do
Confirmation (Results )
Goal / Target Condition
1. How will you measure the effectiveness of the countermeasures?
1. Is there a clear goal or target?
2. Does the check item align with the previous goal statement?
2. what, specifically, is to be accomplished?
3. Has actual performance moved line with the goal statement?
3. How will this goal be measured or evaluated?
4. If performance has not improved, then why? What was missed?
4. What will improve, by how much, and when?
A
Root Cause Analysis
1. Is the analysis comprehensive at a broad level?
Check
2. Is the analysis detailed enough and did it probe deeply enough on the right
issues? Follow-up (Actions)
3. Is there evidence of proper five-whys thinking about the true cause? 1. What is necessary to prevent recurrence of the problem?
4. Has cause and effect been demonstrated or linked in some way? 2. What remains to be accomplished?
5. Are all the relevant factors considered (human, machine, material, method, 3. What other parts of the organization need to be informed of this result?
environment, measurement, and so on? 4. How will this be standardized and communicated?
N
Adjust

7. Problem Solving A3
For boundary-spanning problems
Develop a Consensus for action
– Boundary –spanning communication
• 30 second glance, 10 minutes to read
– Pull based authority
• Agreement of those affected by the change
– Owner Responsibility
• Team collaboration
– Cautions
• Define the problem carefully
• Find REAL root cause
• Manager as mentor
Sorbek & Smalley: Understanding A3 Thinking
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8. Scopes of A3s
Strategic
(6-12 months)
System
(1 week – 6 months)
Process
(1 week)

9. The Deming Cycle
High Velocity Organization
Typical PDCA PDCA
• Plan quickly • Plan deeply
– Discuss actual situation and
– Address Symptoms target with everyone
affected
• Do immediately
– Really understand/model
– Jump to conclusions the problem and its root
cause
• Check roughly • Do many quick experiments
– Act pretty much the way – Validate your thinking
you did before – Check implications carefully
• Act systematically
– Update and deploy
standards and checklist
disciplines

10. Theme and Background –
Look Very Carefully
• Theme is A3 Title
– Identifies relevance
– Revised as situation understanding improves
• Background identifies problems impact
– Why this problem matters
• Impact of problem on organization
• Specific and Quantitative –use graphs, tables, etc.
– People affected understand, agree on, and care
• 10 second rule
– Reader can assess relevance of A3 within 10 seconds
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11. Current Condition –
Ask what we already know
• Specific, detailed, quantitative, concise
– Tables, graphs, histograms, value-stream maps, diagrams
– Countermeasures (Experiments)
– Highlight exactly where problem occurs
– Baseline to compare to metrics after countermeasures are
applied
• Engage everyone affected by or causing symptoms
– Build Consensus on what is
• Symptoms / Undesirable Effects everyone can see
• Foundation of authority to experiment with countermeasures
• Update as understanding improves
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12. Goal –Next Target Condition
Model what we expect
• What baseline change is wanted?
– What does perfect look like?
– What does the organization need?
• Mentor ensures that the owner has both
– Plausible Hypothesis
• Based on best available model/understanding of how the system
should work
– Consensus among stakeholders
• Target is attainable and desirable
• Update as root cause and countermeasures developed
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13. Root Cause –
Model Cause & Effect
• Identify underlying problem(s) causing symptoms
– Root cause is typically faulty thinking or assumptions
• Addressing the root cause(s) improves all levels of symptoms/undesirable
effects/visible damage.
• Build consensus among stakeholders
– Broad agreement on Cause & Effect network
– Reflect best current knowledge about how things work
• Some techniques:
• Some techniques:
– 5 Whys -track down the
– Ishikawa (fishbone) diagram
– Cause-effect diagram
– Current Reality Tree
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14. Propose Countermeasures –
DO [Many Experiments]
• Identify countermeasures for each candidate root cause
– Experiments expected to mitigate underlying problem
– Suggested by people involved or A3 owner
• Assess each countermeasure
– Discuss with Stakeholders affected
– Identify expected changes in meaningful measures from each
countermeasure
– Select those with most promise
• (DO) Try each selected countermeasure to get evidence
for their effectiveness
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15. Results & Follow-up –
Check& Act: Know WHY, not just know how!
• For each countermeasure implemented
– What actually happened
• If different than expected,
– Why?
– Does the model you used correctly represent what happens?
– How do the results improve your knowledge of how to think about your
work?
• What will you monitor to know that the problem remains “solved”?
• What additional problems are revealed after the countermeasures
are in place?
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16. Learning
Results and Follow-up
• The reliable learning comes from checking the results of your
experiments.
– If the hypotheses in your root-cause analysis are correct, your
countermeasures should make the situation better by the amount you
expected.
– If they do not, either your model is wrong or the countermeasure is
not correct or sufficient to address the root-cause and you have to try
again.
• Learning only has value if it changes the way you act
– Improved workflow, better method, better skills, needed checklist
item, better standards, etc.
– This is the ACT part or PDCA, change the way you do this kind of work.
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17. Ishikawa or Fishbone Diagram
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18. Root Cause Analysis

19. 8 wastes
• Overproduction
• Motion
• Inventory
• Transportation
• Waiting
• Under-utilized people
• Defects
• Over-processing
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20. A Fantastic Upcoming Conference
• Less2012.org
• 12-14 November, Tallinn
• 20 speakers, 4 tracks
• Register with promocode AGILEESTONIA for a
50 EUR discount
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