Hello and welcome to the Lean A3 Problem Solving web-based training.  This course offers a brief refresher on Lean concepts covered in the classroom course, Lean Awareness, and is therefore geared towards those who have already taken that course. Let’s begin!  As a reminder, Lean is a mindset of continuous process improvement while minimizing waste. It’s based on a set of principles, tools, and a culture that is built on a foundation of respect for those who do the work. Through Lean, we hope to empower employees to streamline their work and better serve our customers. Before moving into the A3 process, let’s take a moment to review some Lean concepts.  First let’s talk about waste as it relates to Lean.  One of the major roadblocks that can influence an organization’s work processes negatively is wasteful activities.  Eliminating wasteful activities is one of the most important parts of lean thinking.  In Lean, waste is any activity that consumes resources, but brings no value to the end customer.  In reality, the activities that indeed create value for the customers are only a small portion of the whole work process. This is why organizations should focus on reducing wasteful activities as much as possible. By doing so, organizations can identify significant opportunities to improve their overall performance.  Eliminating wasteful activities is crucial for the success of any organization. They are often a source of frustration that can impede our daily work, decrease the quality of the services we provide, and lower employee satisfaction. For these reasons, it is important that everyone identifies and eliminates these wastes and try to improve the process where these non-value-added activities appear or ultimately eliminate them.  The Lean theory describes 7 major areas where you waste is seen:  Transportation, Overproduction, Motion, Defects, Waiting, Inventory, and Processing.  Next, lets revisit the Lean tool 5S.  5S is the foundation of all improvements and is the key component of establishing a Visual Workplace. It focuses on having visual order, organization, cleanliness and standardization. 5S improves efficiency, quality of service, and safety. Steps include: Sort, Straighten, Shine, Standardization and Sustain.  An important foundation of 5s is visual management.  Visual management is a Lean tool where information is communicated by using visual signals instead of lengthy texts or other written instructions. The design is deliberate in allowing quick recognition of information and allows for rapid identification of abnormal conditions. The purpose of any visual management is to be as simple as possible to increase efficiency and clarity.  Visual management can be used to show the user: what is normal; what has been completed or where to go and who to see; standard work and methods or defects in quality; how we are doing as an agency – things such as status, safety, goals, funding, etc.  However they’re used, they must be visible, simple, real time, owned by those who do the work, and centrally located.  Having reviewed the previous tools, let’s explore another tool available to lean practitioners, A3 problem solving. A3 problem solving provides a simple and strict method that systematically guides problem solving through a structured approach.  A3 refers to a single sheet of 11/17 paper. This is where the process got its name. When working with A3 you should be familiar with the following terms:  Book, Chapter, and Verse – the law, regulation, policy, or management directive that dictates what must be done.  Counter Measures – the changes you implemented to resolve the issue/problem.  Current State – how the process is currently working, usually documented visually with a flow diagram, drawing, or bulleted steps. Future State – how the process will work after you implement your counter measures.  Metrics – statistical information related to the problem you are trying to address.  Problem Statement – a brief description (2-3 sentences) of the problem that is trying to be addressed that includes metrics related to the problem and the expectation of how things should be.  Root Cause – the original cause of a problem. Often identified by asking why 5 times to ensure you are reach the main reason a problem is happening. Standard Operating Procedure – a documented process that staff must follow to perform a task that is aligned with the law, regulation, policy, or other requirements. Value Added – something the customer would be willing to pay for, have their tax dollars go towards, or that adds benefit to them.  So, why use the A3 approach? A3 problem solving can be used anytime there is a problem or waste identified that is not immediately correctable. It clearly indicates the problem that you are addressing, and the metrics associated to that problem.  It can be used when you have had the same problem previously, implemented a correction plan, and the problem returned.  A3 problem solving should be used when you have identified various forms of wastes or defects and need to create corrective action or counter measures to eliminate or reduce them.  A3 problem solving creates a clear and concise (one page) method of reporting information when you need to simplify or clarify a complicated issue.  A3 problem solving allows individuals with minimal knowledge of a process to be able to quickly understand it and participate in problem resolution.  It is used to create the continuous improvement mindset.  The most important and time-consuming part of the A3 Problem Solving process is Plan. Planning starts with identifying and understanding the problem – if you don’t fully understand the problem and determine the root causes of that problem, how will you know if you addressed the issue or just a symptom of the issue?  The core pillars of the A3 problem solving process are Plan-Do-Check-Act. This process includes 8 steps:  Identify the problem or need. Understand the current situation or state. Develop the goal statement – develop the target state. Perform root cause analysis. Brainstorm and determine countermeasures. Create countermeasures in an implementation plan.  Check results and confirm the effect. Keep the plan in place or adjust as needed!  “As part of your A3 process, you should gain approvals as necessary before moving past certain steps. After identifying your target condition, we recommend checking in with your supervisor, the process owner, or your agency leadership as needed to ensure your efforts are moving in the desired direction. Similarly, after developing counter measures, seek approval and buy-in as necessary prior to developing and moving forward with your implementation plan.”  This is the A3 Problem Solving template.  It lays out an entire plan, large or small, on one sheet of paper.  That piece of paper: should be visual and extremely concise and it should tell a story, laid out from the upper left-hand side to lower right, which anyone can understand. What’s important is not the format, but the process and the thinking behind it.  It fosters dialogue.  It develops problem solvers. It encourages practice and continuous improvement!  When you first saw the template, what was the first thing you noticed? The plan part of the process includes 6 sections: problem statement; background; current state; problem analysis; target condition/future state; and counter measures.  The problem statement does just as its name implies – allows you to state the problem.  If you don’t understand your problem, you can’t easily communicate it.  Also, if you don’t have metrics how will you know if you fixed it?  The background is a brief overview of bulleted key points that allow others to understand your problem.  The current state section is usually depicted in a diagram, flow chart, or a visual process map of what is occurring with the wastes identified.  This especially true with the transportation, motion, waiting, and defect areas of waste.  With problem analysis you’ll determine the root cause by asking “why?” as many times as possible. This will help you understand the difference between a symptom of a problem, which is an indicator that the problem exists, and the actual cause of the problem.  You’ll use the target condition/future state section to explain what the process should look like.  Finally, counter measures depict the changes or corrective actions that you will be putting in place to address the problem.  After Plan comes DO.  How many times have you been in a meeting, you brainstormed solutions, and then 2 months later you’re back at another meeting discussing the same topic?  To implement the plan, you must identify what needs to be done, by when, and by whom.  Making these decisions creates accountability.  And finally, at the end of the template, we see CHECK & ACT.  This is your follow-up step.  You never want to forget to Follow Up.  Observe what you have done and get feedback from the people doing it. Ask yourself these three questions: “Do additional changes need to be made?”  “Have other issues presented themselves?”  “Is additional action necessary? When it comes to following up metrics are the key – if you know what was happening previously – have the changes resulted in a positive impact?  For example, if your goal was 90% and you were previously at 50% - where are you now – can you measure it?  Thank you for taking this web-based training.  This version of the course is intended for individuals who require an accommodation for a disability.  Once you have fully reviewed the information in this training, contact your Human Resources Office to request credit for completing this course.  You will not receive credit for completing this course until you do so.