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Technical
A3 thinking in the warehouse
Turning every problem into an opportunity.
Channa Ranatunga
Co-Founder
Oct 12, 2023
“No problem, no improvement.” – Toyota maxim
Warehouses – with their mix of people, equipment, systems and space – are perfect laboratories for the A3 method. Born inside the Toyota Production System, an A3 is a one-page, structured story that guides teams from a problem to a root cause, and from a counter-measure to a follow-up plan. Its name simply comes from the ISO paper size (A3 ≈ 11 × 17 in). More than a form, it is a coaching and learning routine that builds scientific thinking into daily operations.
Why A3 fits the warehouse
Warehouse reality | What A3 brings |
|---|---|
Dozens of micro-processes (receiving, put-away, pick, pack, ship) | A common language that links isolated issues to end-to-end flow |
Abundant hidden waste (travel, waiting, re-work) | A visual storyboard to make waste and its causes explicit |
High labour turnover | A repeatable coaching cycle that turns new hires into problem-solvers |
Constant cost-down pressure | Data-driven counter-measures that protect quality and safety while cutting cost |
The seven blocks of an A3 (and a warehouse example)
Background
“Outbound accuracy has slipped from 99.7% to 97.8% in the last 90 days, triggering $27K in charge-backs.”
Current condition – go see the floor; map the pick-to-ship steps; add takt-time bars, photos, little graphs.
Problem statement / gap
We should ship 99.8% first-time-right; we’re at 97.8%; gap = 400 mis-picks / week.Root-cause analysis (5 Whys, fish-bone)
RF scanners lose Wi-Fi in aisles 40–42 → pickers switch to memory → label mismatch; Wi-Fi drops because AP-3 antenna is shadowed by newly installed high-bay.Target condition
Zero dead-zones; no manual SKU entry.Counter-measures
Relocate AP-3 (IT, 2 h)
Add “No-signal” poka-yoke pop-up on scanner (WMS team, 1 day)
Train pickers on new rule (Ops, 30 min / shift)
Follow-up / next steps
Check mis-pick KPI daily for 2 weeks
Audit Wi-Fi heat-map each quarter
Keys to making A3 work on your floor
Start at gemba – managers and engineers walk the aisle with operators; collect facts, not opinions.
Limit to one page – forces clarity; people actually read it during shift huddles.
Coach, don’t fill – supervisors ask questions (“What did you see?”) instead of writing the answers.
Tie to flow & cost – show how the fix shortens lead-time, boosts OTD or frees capacity.
Spread visually – pin A3s on the andon board; celebrate closed ones, not only opened ones.
Typical warehouse wins from A3 projects
Focus area | Common gap | Typical A3 result |
|---|---|---|
Receiving | Shorts on inbound pallets | 35% less waiting at QC lane |
Put-away | Travel to far racks | 20% cut in forklift miles via slot re-sequencing |
Picking | Long dwell at fast-pick | 40% more lines/h after pick-face redesign |
Packing | Wrong dunnage choice | $18K/year material saving using pack-out checklist |
Shipping | Trailer detention fees | 50% fewer late loads after door-schedule levelling |
One-page cheat-sheet (print, post, coach)
A3 warehouse problem-solving canvas
(fits on A4 / Letter – landscape)
Print, laminate, and reuse with dry-erase markers on the floor.
Ready to try?
Pick one nagging warehouse pain.
Grab the blank canvas above.
Walk the process, fill the boxes with the team.
Review at tomorrow’s tier-1 huddle.
Close the loop, share the story, start the next A3.
Small paper, big impact: one problem, one page, endless learning.
