An A3 is a structured one-page (A3-sized) document that captures a problem-solving effort. Toyota uses A3s for everything from small production problems to strategic initiatives. The A3 size is a forcing function - it forces you to distil the story to what actually matters.
Typical sections
- Background - why this problem, why now.
- Current condition - the state today, with real data.
- Goal - what "solved" looks like, measurably.
- Root cause - what's really driving the problem.
- Countermeasures - the specific actions you'll take.
- Plan - who does what by when.
- Follow-up - how you'll verify it worked, and when.
Why it works
The discipline of one page forces you to think clearly. If you can't get it on one page, you don't understand it well enough to solve it. A ten-slide deck is a red flag.
In MapVS
From any bottleneck or improvement action, click Generate A3. MapVS prefills the current condition with real data from your maps and recordings. You fill in the rest and export as PDF.