A-Z tools list
Browse the full range of Focus toolkit learning resources and templates, listed A-Z.
The Focus A-Z toolkit
The Focus A-Z toolkit provides a selection of tools for a range of situations. It's important to understand which tool to use for what job. Use the A-Z list to see at a glance what each tool does - and download the learning resource and any associated templates.
You can download guides and templates from the table below.
Learning resources and templates
| Tool | Purpose | Learning resource | Accompanying template |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Whys | Repeatedly asks the question 'why' to get to the root cause of the problem or issue (it uses 5 as a rule of thumb). | Learning: 5 Whys | |
| 5W&1H | A structured questioning technique used to explore a situation and gain clarity, by asking six key questions: What, Where, When, Why, Who, and How. | Learning: 5W&1H | |
| 6S | A visual system for improvement that helps create and maintain an organised, clean, high performance workspace. | Learning: 6S | |
| 8 Wastes | Classification of waste sources which works effectively, in conjunction with other Focus continuous improvement tools, in identifying and eradicating waste. | Learning: 8 Wastes | |
| Action Plan | A simple template to record agreed actions | Template: Action Plan | |
| After Action Review (AAR) | Capture the lessons learnt from their experiences with the goal of improving future performance. | Learning: After Action Review | Template: After Action Review |
| Bugs and Butterflies | A Bug board is a place to capture issues i.e. what frustrates. A Butterfly board is a great tool to boost morale and focus on the things that the team does well | Learning: Bugs and Butterflies Boards | |
| Case for Change | Set out clearly and concisely a reasoned case to gain agreement to your proposed changes by using this structured template. | Template: Case for Change | |
| Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) | Useful structure for examining and defining problems and identifying solutions to address these. This is the key to the continuous improvement process. You may find the Problem on a Page template (see below) helpful to use in conjunction with your CPS | Learning: Collaborative Problem Solving | |
| Daily Update | A regular 10-15 minute team catch-up to track progress, address issues immediately and celebrate success | Learning: Daily Update | Template: Daily Update |
| Discoveries | Get your team into the habit of regularly reflecting on, sharing and logging their discoveries - you'll together compile a wealth of useful learning points that others in the team will benefit from | Learning: Discoveries | Template for the Daily Update (which includes a Discoveries log) |
| End-of-Project Report | Record what your project achieved, how it was conducted and what you learnt from it to inform future projects | Template: End-of-Project Report | |
| ESCRA | A useful structure to help you question each step of a process to see where improvements can be made | Learning: ESCRA | |
| Feedback Form | Simple format for requesting and giving constructive feedback | Learning: Feedback Form | Template: Feedback Form |
| Fishbone | Helps you to articulate the possible causes of a problem visually | Learning: Fishbone | Template: Fishbone |
| Fresh Eyes | Used to help generate fresh perspectives | Learning: Fresh Eyes | |
| Go See |
Observe a process in action. It stops you drawing premature conclusions about the process, any waste and root causes based on hearsay, opinion or even data | Learning: Go See | |
| Impact/Effort Matrix | An easy-to-use tool to help you to decide which opportunities or ideas to focus on first when you have collected lots of potential solutions to solve a problem | Learning: Impact/Effort Matrix | Template: Impact/Effort Matrix |
| Kano | Categorise your customers' needs according to their importance to them. By doing this you can understand whether the changes you are planning will meet their expectations or not - and also plan to exceed their expectations | Learning: Kano | |
| Lotus Blossom | A structured problem-solving and brainstorming technique that helps individuals and teams break down complex ideas into manageable parts | Learning: Lotus Blossom | |
| Opportunity Log | A simple tool to capture and track potential opportunities that arise when reviewing a process | Learning: Opportunity Log | Template: Opportunity Log |
| Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle | An iterative four-step approach which is at the heart of the continuous improvement process | Learning: Plan-Do-Check-Act | |
| POST | Simple principle for running meetings and workshops | Learning: POST | Template: POST |
| Problem on a Page | Page Distil your structured thinking to work through solving a problem onto a single sheet of A4. A helpful template to use in conjunction with a Collaborative Problem Solving process (see above) | ||
| Process Confirmation | A useful tool to verify that any changes made to a process have improved the process | Learning: Process Confirmation | |
| Process Mapping | Quick and simple methods of showing the links between actions or steps in the process. Used to map both the current state and the future state | Learning: Process Mapping | |
| Project Charter | A summary document setting out the key information about your proposed project. You would use this obtain formal approval for the project to proceed | Template: Project Charter | |
| Project Review template | A simple template to report progress on projects, including what has been achieved, what the next tasks are, and any issues that need escalating | Template: Project Review | |
| RACI Matrix | A simple matrix tool that ensures that everyone involved is clear about roles and responsibilities | Learning: RACI | Template: RACI |
| Risk Mapping | Risk mapping helps identify a project or initiative’s success factors and potential obstacles, understand how concerned to be about them and decide how best to mitigate them. | Learning: Risk mapping | Template: Risk map |
| SIPOC | A simple tool that is used to visualise at a high level who does what, with what and for whom | Learning: SIPOC | Template: SIPOC |
| Solution on a Sheet | Distil your structured thinking to work through a solution onto a single sheet of A4. A helpful template to use in conjunction with a Collaborative Problem Solving process (see above) and Problem on a Page (see above) | ||
| Specific Problem Statement (SMART) | A simple sentence that contains the problem but no causes or solutions | Learning: SMART Problem Statement | Template: SMART Problem Statement |
| Stakeholder mapping | A technique for identifying individuals or groups with an interest in a project or initiative, understanding their influence and level of importance and deciding how best to gather feedback from and share information with them | Learning: Stakeholder mapping | Template: Stakeholder map |
| Standard Operating Procedures | Achieving and documenting a consistent, best way of doing things | Learning: Standard Operating Procedures | Template: Standard Operating Procedures |
| Stop, Start, Continue | A simple format to gather team or customer feedback on what is working well now, what needs to be improved and ideas on how to improve. The end goal is to have an action plan to take forward | Learning: Stop, Start, Continue | Template: Stop, Start, Continue |
| Visual Management | Communicating information in a simple non-verbal manner so that a situation can be understood in a matter of seconds | Learning: Visual Management | |
| Voice of the Customer (VOC) | Helps you to really understand what your customer or end-user's needs are and what they value | Learning: Voice of the Customer | |
| Work Summary Proposal | A framework for clarifying your thinking about your proposed plan of work and recording it in a short summary format that you can share with others to establish a shared understanding | Template: Work Summary Proposal |