Understanding A3 Thinking
A Critical Component of Toyota's PDCA Management System
Durward K. Sobek II
University of Montana, Bozemont, USA
Art Smalley
Art of Lean, Huntington Beach, California, USA
ISBN: 978-1-56327-360-5, March 2008, 184 pp.
The A3 report has proven to be a key tool In Toyota's successful move toward organizational
efficiency. The power of the A3 report, however, derives not from the
report itself, but rather from the development of the dynamic culture required for
the implementation of an A3 system. Winner of a 2009 Shingo Research and
Professional Publication Prize, this manual highlights the deep learning and professional development that
occurs in the A3 process. The authors show that the report is an especially effective tool when implemented
in conjunction with a PDCA-based management philosophy. The book includes some very practical advice on
how to write and review A3 reports.