---
name: a3-problem-solving
description: Guide a team through an A3 report (PDCA on one page) for a recurring construction problem - background, current condition with data, goal, root cause analysis (5 whys, fishbone), countermeasures, plan, follow-up - written so a superintendent can read it in two minutes. Use when a reason for non-completion keeps recurring, after a quality or safety incident, rework, a late delivery pattern, or when the user mentions A3, PDCA, "análisis causa raíz", "5 porqués", "espina de pescado", "Ishikawa" or continuous improvement.
---

# A3 problem solving

The A3 is a thinking process; the sheet is its record. The people closest to the work fill it, the agent asks questions and keeps it honest.

## Inputs
- The problem as observed (what, where, when, how often), with data: PPC reasons Pareto (`make-ready-constraints`), punch items, NCRs, rework hours, incident reports, photos.
- The owner of the A3 and the people who do the work.

## Procedure
1. Title: the problem in a few words, not the solution ("Pañete on level 3 waits for material 2 of 4 weeks", not "Buy more mortar").
2. Background: why it matters now (cost, schedule, safety, quality) in 2-3 lines.
3. Current condition: facts and a simple chart or count; go and see (gemba) before writing. Separate observations from opinions.
4. Goal: measurable, with a date ("material ready 3 days before each takt period, 4 weeks in a row").
5. Root cause: 5 whys on the verified facts, and a fishbone with the categories the team uses (man, method, machine, material, measurement, environment). Stop at a cause the team can act on. Each "why" needs evidence or is marked "to verify".
6. Countermeasures: each linked to a root cause, with owner and date. Prefer changes to the process over reminders and training.
7. Plan and follow-up: how and when the effect will be checked, using the same metric as the current condition. If it did not work, back to step 5.
8. Lay it out on one page: left side (background, current condition, goal, causes), right side (countermeasures, plan, follow-up).

## Output
- The A3 in markdown (or a one-page table the user can print), the 5-whys chain with evidence status, the countermeasure plan.

## Never
- Never write a root cause that names a person ("operator error"); ask why the process allowed it.
- Never mark a why as verified without evidence.
- Never close the A3 without the follow-up measurement.