From Firefighting to Problem-Solving: Using A3 to Develop Your People
9:00 am – 10:30 am Intermediate
We know the Lean tools - standard work, cells, kanban, value-stream mapping. Yet many organizations still struggle with:
- The same problems occur again and again
- Teams jumping from problems to solutions
- Little, if any, true root-cause analysis
- Leaders fixing, not coaching
In today’s manufacturing environment - tight labor markets, volatile demand, rising customer expectations - tools alone aren’t enough. We need effective problems solvers!
A3s are far more than a form. A3 Thinking is a disciplined, visual, coach-driven process that builds real problem-solving capability while delivering measurable results.
In this practical session, you’ll see how to:
- Define problems clearly and eliminate “junk words”
- Break complex issues into focused subsets
- Conduct rigorous root-cause analysis
- Engage stakeholders effectively
- Coach without taking over
- Close the PDCA loop
Through real examples and interactive exercises, you’ll see how A3 Thinking transforms firefighting into capability building - and develops stronger problem solvers across your organization.
