Help Manual

Contents






Sigma Magic Help Version 15

A3 Report

Overview

A3 Report worksheet is a one-page report that can be used to communicate the status of an improvement to other people in the organization. It provides a quick snapshot of the key information all put together on a single page. You can use this tool whenever you want to concisely communicate the status of any project to other stakeholders. To add this tool your workbook, click on Lean and then select Reports > A3 Report.

Inputs

Click on Analysis Setup to open the menu options for this tool.

Setup

A sample screenshot of the setup menu is shown below.
Setup
1
Implementation Status: Enter the status of the implementation plan. The available options are:
OptionDescription
AheadThe implemention is being done ahead of plan.
On ScheduleThe implementation is being done according to plan.
Behind PlanThe implementation is behind schedule.
CompletedThe implementation has been completed.
2
KPI Status: Enter the status of the KPI metrics. The available options are:
OptionDescription
On TargetThe KPI metrics are on target.
AheadThe KPI metrics are better than target.
BehindThe KPI metrics are worse than target.
3
View Example: Click on this button to open the example file. You can view the example to get an idea of how to fill out this tool or you can use the example as a starting point and modify it to meet your project needs.
4
Help Button: Click on this button to open the help file on this topic.
5
Cancel Button: Click on this button to exit without saving any changes.
6
OK Button: Click on this button to save changes and update your analysis results.
Enter the following information on the worksheet:
  • Background: Enter a brief description of the problem. Describe why is this problem important to solve for the business.
  • Initial Condition: Describe the initial state of the problem. Describe any key metrics/data you have collected to quantify the problem. Describe where the problem occurs, when it occurs, how much, etc.
  • Target Condition: Describe how much improvement you are looking to make for the key metrics. Be as specific as possible.
  • Root Cause Analysis: Show your logic for why you have selected the root causes based on facts/data.
  • Countermeasures: Describe the countermeasures you have developed to eliminate or minimize the root causes.
  • Implementation Plan: Describe the plan of how you are going to implement the countermeasures. Describe what will be done, who will do it, when will it be done, and the current status of the implementation.
  • Issues / Follow-up Actions: Describe what actions are you taking to replicate the findings in other parts of the business that may have similar issues. Describe any key issues/problems you are facing as a result of implementing your countermeasures.
  • KPI Metrics: Document the KPI metrics that will be impacted as a result of your improvement. What was the original value of the KPI, what is the goal, and what is the current value of the KPI metric?

Checklist

If you click on the Checklist button, you will see the following dialog box. Checklist The checklist contains a few pointers on things you need to pay particular attention to while performing this analysis. The checklist has been derived from experience working on past projects. Not all the checklist items need to apply to you. However, you should carefully review the checklist and apply any recommendations that make sense for your project. Make sure to read each checklist item and mark it as completed after you have read and taken actions as appropriate for your project.

Verify

If you click on the Verify button, the software will perform some checks on the data you have entered. A sample screenshot of the dialog box is shown in the figure below. Verify The objective of this analysis as well as any checks that are performed is listed in this dialog box. For example, the software may check if you have correctly specified the input options and entered the required data on the worksheet. The results of the analysis checks are listed on the right. If the checks are passed, then they are shown as a green-colored checkmark. If the verification checks fail, then they are shown as a red-colored cross. If the verification checks result in a warning, they are shown in the orange color exclamation mark and finally, any checks that are required to be performed by the user are shown as blue info icons.

Outputs

Click on Compute Outputs to update the output screen. An example screenshot of a completed worksheet is shown below. A3 Example There are no outputs and/or analyses performed for the A3 Report except for the checks that are run on the A3 report. If the implementation is behind the plan or the KPI targets are not being met, an error is indicated for the A3, otherwise, the A3 is reported as OK. A sample screenshot of the worksheet is shown below.

Notes

Here are a few notes regarding this analysis:
  • Since there are no specific calculations performed on this tool you can modify this tool as you see fit. Refer to the help file on how to add and/or delete rows and columns in a Sigma Magic worksheet.