I have been a fan of The Toyota Corporation’s manufacturing methods since the early 80′s. This is when the full impact of their “just-in-time” manufacturing processes made its impact on global markets.
I particularly apprecited the use of paper index cards rather than elaborate computer systems. Simpler is almost always better. Peter Abilla on his Shmula blog has a great article The Toyota A3 Report that suggests how an emphasis on simplicity can be applied to identifying the root cause of problems. Once the root cause has been uncovered, the “solution” must be presented on a single sheet of A3 paper (11.7″ x 16.5″ for us Americans). Key steps in the process include:
- Identify the problem or need
- Understand the current situation
- Perform a root cause analysis – also known as a fishbone diagram or Ishikawa diagram
- Devise countermeasures
- Develop the target state – what do you want to do differently
- Create the implementation plan
- Fit it all on one sheet of paper
I whole-heartedly encourage you to read the entire article at Peter’s site to get the full impact (and references) for this powerful approach to problem solving.
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