Every time when I face with problems, I feel totally mass. Too
many things come together and I even cannot find out one solution. But when I
calm down and think about the whole situation from the beginning, I find that
things are becoming clear. I think Toyota give us a theory about how to solve
problem from the deep inside. And I really like this way to analysis problem,
making things standard, detail, clear and in time.
Standard
All problems showing on one A3 size page and making sure all
problems are understand by everyone is really not an easy thing. However,
Toyota figured out this way and changes every sentence into symbols, graphs and
simple words. Those simplest express ways can make sure everyone, no matter engineer
or officer, can understand where the problems are, how to solve them, and how efficiency
they have to be.
Detail
Root cause analysis is the part I like most. The best way to
find out suitable solution is to find out every detail factor which possible leads
to this problem. I tried to put myself on Potter’s position at first, and I
only can think out a few solutions which are not effective enough. However,
when I saw the “root cause” A3 showed about current condition, I felt much more
clearly about what to do next. Since it defined every possible cause so clearly
and detailed, the solution it generated would be more relevant.
Clear
When we faced to a huge problem, one thing most possible
happened is unclear responsible division, which means that each department would
pass the buck to each other. If we look
at A3, however, we can see that each department which related to this problem needs
to not only analysis the causes and proposed countermeasures, but also give
take response during whole solute process.
In time
Just as Toyota said “no problem is a problem”, we need to
always get prepared to every possible new problem. A3 is a continuous improvement learning model.
What’s more, its standard, detail, and clear characteristics make further
problem solving easy.
Reference:
Nan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting blog post. As clear as the A3 explanation is, I think your post goes through each step and explains it even better. I agree with you that the root cause is the most helpful. Most people can see the end problem, but not what caused it. In my line of work (Design/test/manufacturing environment) there is a lot of root cause analysis that is typically performed. We even have our own group specifically dedicated to the process. I think this cold be another useful tool to look into for that group, especially for newcomers who do not have too much experience with root cause analysis.
I made a post on Elan's page a bit ago regarding the simplicity of the Toyota and A3 way. I like your approach Nan. These concepts give you a foundation to build off of and create a common starting ground to ensure your start solving your problem the right way.
ReplyDelete-Brendan