A3 Problem-Solving Review Template

An A3 problem-solving review walks a team through a single sheet of paper that tells the whole story of a problem and its solution. Named for the paper size, the A3 is a cornerstone of Lean thinking: it forces clear, structured reasoning through the plan-do-check-act cycle and turns problem-solving into a teachable discipline rather than a scramble.

When to use it

Use an A3 review for any problem important enough to warrant rigorous root cause thinking, from a quality defect to a missed Hoshin target. The review happens as the A3 develops and again when results come in. It doubles as a coaching tool, since the questions a reviewer asks teach the owner how to think.

Who attends

Keep it small: the A3 owner, a coach or mentor, and the few stakeholders who understand the problem or own part of the solution. Three to eight people is plenty. The owner drives the A3; everyone else sharpens it through questions.

How to run it

The owner walks the A3 in order: background and problem statement, current condition with data, the goal, and the root cause analysis. Spend real time on root cause, since countermeasures aimed at symptoms always fail. Review the countermeasures, the implementation plan, and how results will be checked and followed up. Throughout, the coach asks questions rather than giving answers, because the value of A3 is the thinking it develops, not just the document it produces.

Facilitator tips

• Keep the whole story on one page; force clarity over volume.
• Push the analysis to a true root cause, not the first plausible cause.
• Coach with questions so the owner builds the reasoning.
• Confirm how results get checked, since an A3 is not done at implementation.

Common mistakes

• Jumping to countermeasures before the root cause is understood.
• Treating the A3 as paperwork rather than a thinking process.
• The coach supplying answers, which short-circuits the learning.
• Skipping the check step, so no one verifies the problem was solved.

Build problem-solving as a discipline. Run it in OrgTP and keep each A3 problem, root cause, and countermeasure tracked to closure.