A3 Quick Start

What is Gemba-A3

Gemba-A3 is a Progressive Web App for structured A3 problem solving. It provides nine sections following the PDCA cycle, a stage gate between Plan and Do/Check/Act, Pareto chart generation, evidence import from Gemba-VSM/RCA/SPC, and AI coaching export. Runs offline after first load.

Installation

Problem type classification gate

When creating a new A3 project, classify the problem type. This cannot be changed after selection — it determines section labels and coaching prompt framing. Choose Type 2 for most NHS improvement work.

App layout — tabs

• Plan tabSections 1–5 (Problem Statement, Current State, Goal, Waste Identified, Root Cause Analysis). The left side of the A3. Complete with gemba evidence before passing the stage gate.
• Do/Check/Act tabSections 6–9 (Future State / Countermeasures, Action Plan, Results & Measures, Next Steps). Locked until stage gate is passed. Memo pad available on locked sections for capturing early thoughts.
• Meta tabProject metadata (title, author, responder, department, organisation, PDCA cycle number), nemawashi tracker, Print A3, JSON export, and AI Coach button.
• 4C tabAppears only for Type 1 (troubleshooting) problems. Four-section rapid response: Contain, Correct, Confirm, Communicate.

The nine sections

Sections 1–5 are on the Plan tab. Sections 6–9 are on the Do/Check/Act tab (locked until stage gate is passed).

• 1
  Problem Statement Free text, photo attachment, gemba import, status, responder review, revision history. The app does not auto-generate problem statements — write what is happening, how bad it is, and why it matters.
• 2
  Current State Free text, photo, import from Gemba-VSM current state, and a built-in Pareto chart generator — enter defect/waste categories and frequencies; chart renders automatically and is included in the printed A3.
• 3
  Goal / Target Free text plus SMART scaffolding fields (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to test whether your goal meets all five criteria. Both appear on the printed A3.
• 4
  Waste Identified Structured DOWNTIME waste categories with evidence fields, plus a second Pareto chart generator. If a VSM has been imported into Section 2, the app offers to cascade waste data from the VSM automatically.
• 5
  Root Cause Analysis (Type 2) or Analysis & Improvement Options (Type 3) Free text, photo, import from Gemba-RCA (fishbone, 5 Whys chains, validated root causes). This is where the stage gate test applies — if removing the identified root cause would not make the problem disappear, you have found a contributing factor, not the root cause.
• 6
  Future State / Countermeasures Free text, photo, import from Gemba-VSM future state. Each countermeasure should trace back to a specific root cause from Section 5.
• 7
  Action Plan Structured action list: description, named owner, due date, status (not started / in progress / complete / blocked), and PDCA phase. Renders as a compact table on the printed A3.
• 8
  Results & Measures Free text, photo, import from Gemba-SPC (control charts). Record before and after data honestly — failed countermeasures are learning, not failure.
• 9
  Next Steps Follow-up actions, standardisation plan, monitoring schedule. A New A3 from here button lets you spawn a new A3 project inheriting relevant context from the current one.

Each section includes: text area with character guidance, collapsible checkpoint questions, photo attachment (max 2, auto-compressed), import button, section status toggle (Draft / In Progress / Complete), responder review toggle, and auto-saved revision history.

Stage gate

Sections 6–9 are locked when a new A3 is created. The memo pad on each locked section lets you capture timestamped thoughts at the gemba without unlocking full editing.

When ready, tap I'm ready to move to countermeasures on the Plan tab. A confirmation screen shows checkpoint questions for sections 1–5. You are prompted (not required) to confirm responder review. Confirm, and sections 6–9 unlock permanently. Memos from locked sections surface in a highlighted panel at the top of each Do/Check/Act section after unlocking.

The gate is a one-time check — it does not re-lock if you revise the left side after unlocking (which is normal).

Importing evidence

In any section, tap Import from Gemba app and select a JSON file exported from another Gemba Suite app. Gemba-A3 reads and validates the file, shows a preview, and imports on confirmation. Imported content is read-only — you annotate it, you cannot edit it. This maintains evidence integrity.

Smart routing defaults

Default routing can be overridden — you can import any source to any section.

Cascade offer: when a VSM is imported into Section 2, Gemba-A3 offers to cascade its waste flags into the DOWNTIME categories in Section 4. You can select which process steps to include.

AI coaching export

Click AI Coach on the Meta tab or within any section. Choose whole-A3 coaching (reviews the coherent thread from problem to results) or section-level coaching (focuses on one section's evidence quality). Select coaching tier (Sensei Prep or Facilitator Coaching) and platform (Copilot, Claude, or Gemini). Preview the prompt, then copy or download as .txt.

The prompt is gate-aware: if the right side is still locked, the AI focuses only on the Plan sections and does not coach on countermeasures. Memos from locked sections are included in the export for context.

Printing

Click Print A3 on the Meta tab. Opens a landscape-formatted print layout with the nine sections in the traditional A3 arrangement: left side (Plan, sections 1–5) on the left, right side (Do/Check/Act, sections 6–9) on the right. Set printer to landscape orientation. For A4 printers, use fit to page. The printed A3 includes concise narrative, photo thumbnails, Pareto charts, and the action plan table.

Export / import

• JSONFull backup — all nine sections with text, photos, imports, memos, revision history, action items, Pareto data, DOWNTIME waste data, SMART fields, nemawashi records, and stage gate state. Re-importable on any device.
• ImportLoads a previously exported JSON as a new project. Never overwrites existing data.

Project management (create, rename, delete, switch) is via the dark project bar below the header. Data auto-saves as you work.

Backup warning