A3 Report

An A3 Report is a problem-solving and management practice in which the problem, the analysis, the countermeasures and the action plan are recorded on a single sheet of A3 paper, often with graphics. It is used at Toyota as a standard method for summarising problem-solving exercises, status reports and planning exercises such as value-stream mapping. The report also guides a dialogue between a lean manager and a subordinate, who learns lean thinking and leadership while solving the problem.

Source checked2/2 values · 2026-10-25Methodology

Specification

1 source

Kind	methodology
Origin	Toyota

Study notes

A3 is the international paper size 297 millimetres wide and 420 millimetres long; the closest U.S. size is the 11-by-17-inch tabloid sheet.
The document states that an A3 is not a template, even though pre-printed A3-sized documents with the problem-solving steps are often called templates.
The left side of the A3 focuses on elements of the problem or current condition; the right side covers the countermeasures considered, tested and chosen.
Ownership sits with the author-owner of the A3, the individual whose initials appear in the upper right-hand corner of the paper.
The A3 owner may not have direct authority over every aspect of the proposal but is identified as the person responsible for getting decisions made and implemented.
A3 can serve as a storyboard for communication and coordination during a project, and as a report once the effort concludes.
A3 thinking refers to the systematic approach to resolving problems or improving processes, which can be followed even without recording findings on an A3 document.
In strategy deployment, advanced lean organisations use A3s as an alignment tool for a standard approach to managing and coaching people.
Managers coach through questions rather than answers, keeping responsibility for solving the problem with the subordinate.
Synonym listed in the document: A3.