Problem solving
What Is a 3C Form? A Plain-English Guide for Shop Floors
3C stands for Concern, Cause, Countermeasure. Here's how the format actually works on a shop floor, and why most plants stop using it after a few weeks.
3C and A3 problem solving
From a red box on the board to a countermeasure with an owner
Anyone on the team logs the problem from the board. A supervisor or manager turns it into a 3C. If that isn't enough, they escalate it to an A3. Every plan has all three, Free included.
Free forever: 1 department, 2 cells, 1 user · No card
Where problem solving usually stalls
It gets said, not written down.
It comes up at the huddle and goes on a sticky note. A week later the note is gone.
Nobody knows how often it happens.
The same burr shows up Tuesday and again Friday. Each time it looks like the first time.
The fix has no name on it.
Everyone agrees on the countermeasure. Nobody owns it, so nobody checks it got done.
How a problem moves from the board to a fix
Log it, or count a repeat
Open a day on the cell board and press + Log issue on that letter's card. Type a title. For a repeat, press Check Duplicates on the Issue Log, then Link to add one to its count.
A supervisor makes it a 3C
A supervisor or manager presses Escalate to 3C →. Fill in Concern, Cause, Countermeasure and Due Date. Press Save 3C first. Mark Complete ✓ resolves the issue but drops unsaved edits.
The countermeasure goes on the Actions list
A saved 3C with a countermeasure and due date lands on Corrective Actions. It's assigned to whoever saved it, and you can reassign it. Late items show in red.
Escalate to an A3 when the 3C isn't enough
Press Escalate to A3 → before the 3C is marked complete. The 3C's cause lands on the fishbone, and its countermeasure becomes countermeasure A. ⚠ Ad Hoc A3 skips the 3C.
Or start an A3 from scrap
Every scrap row has an A3 → button. The form fills in the part number, scrap value and units. Create A3 → opens a Cost A3.
The boards count what's open
The facility board shows Open Issues, At 3C and At A3. Wall displays list the top four open issues, A3s first.
The seven sections of the A3
| Section | What's in it |
|---|---|
| 1. Background | Filled in from the issue and its 3C, recurrence count included. |
| 2. Current Condition | A chart of the cell's last 60 days on that letter against target. |
| 3. Goals / Targets | The cell's Quality and Delivery targets, plus your success definition. |
| 4. Root Cause Analysis | A fishbone on the 6Ms, then a 5-Why chain for each confirmed cause. |
| 5. Countermeasures | Each with a description, the SQDC letters it helps and an owner. |
| 6. Implementation Plan | Tasks with an owner, start and due date, each copied to Corrective Actions. |
| 7. Follow-up & Verification | Midterm and pre-close reviews. A trend chart once a task with a start date is complete. |
Presenter view shows one section at a time. Export to PDF or PowerPoint.
The AI Lean Coach starts on Professional
It runs on Claude, inside the 3C and A3. Nothing is sent until someone clicks a coach button.
Where it shows up
Coach on the 3C's Concern, Cause and Countermeasure. On the A3: Coach my fishbone, Check my 5-Why and Coach countermeasures.
What it sends
The issue, its cell and recurrence count. Green and red counts from the cell's last 7 entries on that letter. Up to 5 resolved issues from the same cell and letter. Then the part you asked about.
What it's told to do
Ask one question at a time in plain shop-floor language. Never fill in the answer. Point out gaps in the logic. On the 3C Cause, steer a cause that names a person back to the process.
Who controls it
Managers can switch it off in Settings and set a daily limit per user, 20 by default.
What ShopBoard doesn't do here
- Nothing escalates on its own. Operators can log issues. Linking repeats and saving 3Cs or A3s takes a supervisor or manager.
- Duplicate checks are manual, with no text matching. A repeat of an issue at 3C or A3 can't be linked.
- An issue has no edit, delete or close button, and no owner field.
- Once a 3C is marked complete, the issue can't go to an A3. An Ad Hoc A3 starts without the 3C's work.
- Closing an A3 doesn't close its issue. It still counts as open on the boards.
- The Actions list gets a one-time copy. Later edits to the 3C or the A3 tasks don't reach it.
- No emails, reminders or sign-off. Overdue flags show only on Corrective Actions and the monthly report.
- The coach isn't a chat. Typed follow-ups don't reach it. The live demo doesn't include it.
Questions
Can an issue escalate to an A3 automatically?
No. A supervisor or manager presses Escalate to 3C →, then Escalate to A3 →. The recurrence count on the issue helps them decide.
Is the AI Lean Coach on the Free plan?
No. It starts on Professional. Free and Starter get the Issue Log, 3C and A3 without it.
Can I export an A3 for a review?
Yes. PDF goes through your browser's print dialog, laid out for A3 landscape. PowerPoint gives one slide per section, with fishbone causes as text and no charts.
Read more
- Problem solving
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A3 has a reputation for being a big-company lean tool. Here's a stripped-down version that actually fits a smaller shop, without the jargon.
- Meetings and routines
5 Signs Your Daily Management Board Has Become Theater
A board that gets updated but doesn't change anything isn't daily management, it's decoration. Here are five signs the habit has become theater.
Put your next red box through a 3C.
Free covers 1 department, 2 cells and 1 user, with the Issue Log, 3C and A3.