Planning To Improve

Thru the Use of A3

A3 Types

Project status
Problem solving
Information sharing
Knowledge capture

A3 Basics

What is it?

Quick, simple, VISUAL tool for project status communication

Guides disciplined thinking to synthesize complex information
concisely

Allows taking in the whole story at once

Fits on 11 x 17 (or A3) size of paper

Who owns it?

Process owners
Project leaders
Kaizen leaders

Why are we doing the project.

What we will get from putting
resources on it.
Where we are with the
implementation and metrics.

Logic In The A-3

The A-3 must clearly contain the logic that connects

The problem supported by data

To its objective
To a current state
To a future state
To an action plan
To a measurement

PROBLEM, OBJECTIVE and GOAL

FUTURE STATE

CURRENT STATE

ACTION PLAN

MEASURES

Validation is accomplished by checking in the reverse direction

of the above to insure the problem is solved as expected

A-3 Structure
Problem Statement: Why do this?
Objective and Goal:
What do we need?
Show data that supports doing the
project
Pareto, 5 Why, Business conditions
SHOW Boundaries

Current State
How does it look today?
Use pictures when possible
Text

Future State
How will it look nearest to ideal?
Text

Implementation Plan and Metrics

Who

Actions
Measures of
success

Leading
Indicators

When

Pentair Format

http://pentaircontent/pnr/pims/Shared%20Documents/Pentair%20A3%20template.xls

CL75 Industrial
Presto
CL75 Industrial
Films 6Films
Month
6 Month
A3
A3
Business Case, Goals and Background:

No. of Days/Complaints

Industrial Films ROC

14
12
% ROC

10
8

Example
15

6
2.6

28
Schedule
(What, When,

25
Packaging

15
10

Cost $/lbs.

0.500

0.082

0.078

0.039

0.086

0.035

0.030

5. Reduce finished goods

inventory and improve
inventory turns.

0.300
0.482

0.462

0.435

0.425

0.100
0.000
12/1/2000

9/30/2001

PI

PI
Material

12/1/2000

Labor

9/30/2001

PG
PG
Overhead

Size

PG

Resin
System

Gauge

Changeovers/month
Gauge: 32
Size: 28
Resin: 16

PI

Check

Resin

15

60
50
40
30
20
10
0

0.068
0.025

Shipping
Sequence

Time

Supplier

Sep-01

90
80
70

Minutes/changeover

4. Reduce changeover
time for major
processes by at least
60%

Total Mfg Costs (TMC)

PI

QC

Changeover

PG 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Dec 2002

0.400

0.200

CL75
and
Packing

Cores

Customer

2,240
max. rolls

PI PG

4
5,550
max rolls

Customer
Other

60

2
4.5

Last 6 mo 2000

Sep-01

6
Recycle scrap

18

Inventory and Turns

Number of Rolls

0.600

Core

2000

0.700

O 1

14

2. Reduce Total Manufacturing Costs (TMC) and create

a process where TMC variability is reduced.

Products

Sequence)

20

2
Dec 2000

Order
Process
and
Traffic

Complaints

30

1. Bring Industrial Films ROC from 2.6% to 15% by

December of 2002.

SynQuest

Customer Leadtime (Days)

Complaints/Yr.

Lead time

Opportunity :

16

CL75 Industrial Films

Target Condition:

3. Develop a new way to go to market by significantly reducing

lead times and customer complaints.

Rev. Date: April 11, 2005

25000

19602

20000

25
13586

15000

15.9

10000
5000

Inventory
Inv. Turns/Yr.

0
Last 6
mos 2000

30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Packing on line to reduce overhead

Order schedule is sent to

All orders will go into the

Assume market will

Customer

(eliminate Packer position) by $43,000.

CL75 weekly, adjusted

pattern wheel to be

allow to fill CL75

calls in order.

as much as daily.

processed for CL75. This

with Industrial films.

SynQuest optimizes the

system will also generate

an electronic heijunka for

Target capacity is

Operator does quality stretch wrap

test every 4 hours.

Inventory Turns/Yr.

Process Owner: DW
Plant Manager: RQ

pattern to minimize

Cutting scrap rolls at the machine will

scrapping side rolls.

reduce overhead by $21,000 per year.

The order is
transferred to
computer.

estimated at 26 days

shipping sequence.

a month.

PI and PG Customer 1-7 day lead time.

Sep-01

2 weeks

ODC entry to shipping order =

Activities, Schedules:

Investigate scrap cutter

6 wks

5S CL 75

8 wks

Develop Std. Work Procedures

3 wks

Std Process Parameters

11 wks

Bob Brockman

Review purchase of vision sys (autonomate)

11 wks

Deb Wilber

Determine raw mat'l stores

11 wks

Deb Wilber,Greg Schultz

10

Changeover reduction

13 wks
15 wks

11

Define shop floor kanbans

12

Go live with pull system Kanbans

13

Define & review process control requirements

Days of Leadtime

15
10
5

Dec-

Jan-

Feb-

Mar-

Apr-

May-

Jun-

00

01

01

01

01

01

01

Power G Goals

Au
g01

Ju
n01

Point G Goals

Point G Actual

30
20

16000

10

15000
14000

13000

58
6

La

Goal # of Rolls

Actual # of Rolls

1
-0

0
01

Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul- Aug- Sep00 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01

De
c

01

01

01

O
c t-

01

10

Ju
n-

01

12000

Au
g-0

01

Oct-

01

01

Sep-

01

Jun- Jul-01 Aug-

May-

-0

Apr-

15

-0

Mar-

20

00

17000

De
c

25

st

30

19000
18000

Ye
ar

Turns

-0
1

Industrial Rolls Inventory

20000

2000

01

Power G Actual

Ap
r-

Gauge

40

Sep-

01

Size

50

Aug-

Resin

60

Jul-01

Customer Complaints

Ap
r-0
1

70

20

Fe
b01

$/M Units
8/1/02

12/1/02

6/1/02

10/1/02

Changeover Reductions by Category

0.63
0.61
0.59
0.57
0.55
0.53
0.51
0.49
0.47
0.45

Fe
b

weeks

Customer Leadtime Goals

25

De
c

ODC entry to shipping order =4

Background:
Line is forecast to run 23 days per month.
Scrap has averaged 3.8% for 2000.
Average Output is 694 pounds per hour.

Dan Plamann

13

The operator on CL75 does two quality checks

each shift.

6/30

14
8

Operator sends carrier of rolls down conveyor

to CL packing station.

Scheduler prints the

schedule and gives it to the
Area Leader
to sequence orders for each
Industrial film line.

CL75 Team,Deb Wilber

17
0
16 00
75
5

Scrap rolls are cut up and

reprocessed into other products.

Bob Brockman,CL75 Team

30

02

If there are no industrial film orders, Plastic

wrap master rolls are run.

Customer
calls in
order and
the order is
transferred
to BPCS.

Deb Wilber

TMC Goals/Trands

De
c00

Packers scans finished pallet and

moves pallet to staging area.

Scheduler checks every other

day for orders to fit into the
schedule.

Bob Brockman,CL75 Team

28 wks

19
6

CL75 does not make every product every day.

Product is put into

inventory
80 web can create side
rolls - may not have
order, extra rolls go
into inventory.

October
Oct

Deb Wilber

ROC Goals, Trend

4/1/02

% ROC
The packer puts rolls on pallets.

September
Sep

Steve Simonsen[1%]

0 days

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
12/1/00

The operator checks the schedule and orders

parts.

Scrap
rolls 3%

Minutes

Mach. Scrap .8%

Operators write
nformation on core labels
by hand.

Steve Simonsen

2/1/02

Packer

Recycling
Process

The operator removes index

scrap that is reprocessed.

Steve Simonsen

11 days

4/1/01

CL75

Shipping

The machine operator writes

down run conditions and roll
weights .

11 days

Metrics:

2/1/01

Cores

August
Aug

Jul

Study cost system

12/1/01

QC Check

FG Inventory

Parts
inventory

July
Jun

Develop SW Specs

Scheduling

Resin

June
May

Determine FG Stores

8/1/01

Schedule

May
Apr

Customer

1 day

April

10/1/01

Area Leader

March
Mar

Duration
140 days

6/1/01

BPCS

Task Name
CL75 Pilot

-0
1
Ap
r-0
1
Ju
n01
Au
g01
O
ct
-0
1

ID
0

Fe
b

CL75 Industrial Films

Current Condition:

A3 Process

A3 gets populated as the project or event matures

The problem statement, objectives and goal should visually and
clearly show:

Business case for project

SMART goal
Clear objectives
Any boundaries for group

Do it in pencil first, later on the computer

Dont wait for perfect data

Problem Statement Objective & Goal

Why Are We Doing This?

What Are the Business Needs?

If None or Not Aligned
Stop!!

Problem Statement

Describe the business need or problem that must be

addressed
The background may include

Reason(s) for working on this problem

Issues that are unique and pertinent to the goal
Data that supports the specific problem being addressed

Example

50% of the downtime for the paint system is caused by

rotation. This represents 1000min/year

Objective and Goal Examples

Reduce risk of audit failure by 80%

Reduce wasted time of searching for files from 1 hour
to 1 minute
Improve chance of co-workers finding needed file from
10% to 100%
Reduce rotation down time from 1000 min/year to 50
min/year by Friday

Current State

Pictorial representation of HOW existing process (system) work

Material, information, & service flows

What people do
Sources of waste
Process data
Characteristic problems
Value stream map

Facts, data, not opinions!

GO SEE vs. I know how it works.

Current State

Develop by direct, in-depth observation:

Grasp the situation - draw the process as it actually works

Process, material and information flow

Spaghetti chart(s), VSMs
People deployment
Pertinent data: cycle time, C/O time, inventory, lead time, etc

Explicitly capture the conditions or practices (problems) and their

location that must be solved to close the business case
Explains what causes current results

Future State
Where Are We Going?
What Will It Look Like?
How Are We Solving the Problem?

Future State

Expected process after solving the problems

Drawing that corresponds to the current condition solving the

problem
It contains the countermeasures for risks identified

Implementation Plan & Metrics

How Will We Get There?
How Will We Measure Success?

Implementation Plan and Measures

Clearly defines what needs to be done to get to future

state (solve the problem)

What
Who
When

The measures provide a test to ensure each

countermeasure produces expected results

Implementation & Metrics

Activities & timeline

Metrics

Planned improvement activities

Base on future state changes solving the problem!
Controllable, measurable tasks
Simple Gantt chart format
Linked back to objective and goals!!
Make as short term as practical and have intermediate goals
Pick carefully to measure success of improvement activities make
meaningful

List assumptions and risks

A3 Guideline

Visual is preferred over verbal

Visual vs. Verbal

- Charts
- Diagrams
- Tables

- Paragraphs
- Sentences
- Bullets
- Phrases

Current and Target States: State HOW They Work

Current state:

The machine changeover time is now 8 hours, due to large

internal-to-external ratio. This causes extra inventory after the
machine totaling $2M.

Target state:

Reduce the changeover time to 2 hours by organizing 80% of

the changeover activity to be external. This will allow store
inventories to be reduced to $0.4M.

Link the Metrics Back to the Business Case Goals.

1. Business Case
(Background, Needs,

3. Target Condition
(How it WILL work)

Goals)

2. Current Condition
(How it works)

4. Activities,
Schedule,
Metrics

A3 Summary

A3s are tools to quickly communicate improvement

plans
Make it visual, less verbal
Focus on sources of waste to eliminate
Do it in pencil (later on the computer if necessary)
Dont wait for perfect data

A3 Guidelines

Get started, use the A3 as part of your planning

system, not an afterthought
Start in what ever quadrant you can get down best.
You must come back to your problem statement,
objective and goal
Use factual information, not opinion or anecdotal
conjecture
When doing current state look for all 8 wastes go see

A3 Guidelines

Format

Title, Owner and time

covered.
Put a date on the Current
Condition
Put a Date on the Target
Condition
Date Time stamp the
revision of the A3

Title
Owner: Time covered
Business Case, Goals

Target Condition: Date

Current Condition: Date

Activities/Metrics

A3 Date Time Stamp