A3 Thinking 101

What is A3 Thinking 101?

The A3 Thinking 101 course consists of five 3-hour remote sessions spanning nine weeks. It aims to equip staff with the ability to apply A3 Problem Solving Thinking and Lean tools to their work at UCSF to help build a culture of continuous improvement.  Participants will be given assignments between sessions to apply concepts to a real-life work problem and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to create ongoing improvement efforts during and after the course. 

Learning Objectives

  1. Learn about A3 Thinking, the problem-solving tool and the method and approach for problem solving
  2. Engage in "learning by doing"; practice what you are learning with real world application

Benefits Include:

  • Receiving training tailored to the UCSF environment rather than a generic course.
  • Opportunities for real-world application of Lean principles to develop problem-solving skills
  • Acquiring skills to recognize and apply the thought process behind the various components of the A3 framework, thereby aligning with UCSF's strategic focus on continuous improvement
  • Time between sessions to share learnings with colleagues, raise questions to coaches, and apply improvement strategies with real-time support

Expectations:

The success of this course and the value it provides you will largely depend on your engagement. You will be expected to:

  • Select a problem to work on throughout this course
  • Attend all 5 sessions fully: participate in group activities and discussions, raise questions, share examples in class to reinforce your learning as well as apply improvement strategies with real-time support
  • Meet with your coach one on one between sessions to reflect and reinforce your learning, get support with your assignments (as needed). We reccommend meeting with your coach once before the course begins, 3 times during the course, and once after the course ends
  • Do 2-3 hours of work between sessions including reading assignments, learning and applying tools and skills learned in class to your individual problem, and working through the left side of your A3 and starting to develop countermeasures

Course Overview

This hands-on course walks participants through the use of the A3 beginning with an introduction to the format and associated thinking. Instructors use a tailored case study to illustrate the application of various Lean concepts and tools used in various sections of the A3 format while participants apply A3 thinking to a problem in their workplace. Topics include understanding current state, developing problem statements and target conditions, doing root-cause analysis, and prioritizing work that needs to be done to address the problem. This class includes a coaching component where students work with a Lean coach between classes to develop and refine their learning and problem-solving skills. Each day will be based on specific topics described below:

Session 1

Introduction to A3 Thinking

Session 2

Whole Systems Thinking and Lean Tools for Understanding the Current State

Session 3

Problem Statement, Target Condition, and Metrics

Session 4

Root Cause Analysis
Session 5 Developing Meaningful Improvements & Implementation Plans

Who should take this course?

Anyone passionate about process improvement is welcome to join this course. Our prerequisite course is "Intro to Lean" which provides a basic understanding of tools and concepts, but there is a test-in process for those who already have Lean experience.

Prerequisite Requirements

Class participants are must have a basic understanding of Lean concepts and principles prior to taking this course. There are two ways to meet the prerequisite requirements:

  1. Take "Intro to Lean" course and complete the Knowledge Assessment at the end of the course OR
  2. Complete the Alternate Placement Exam for Lean Fundamentals Knowledge Assessment. Inquire for more details at [email protected]