The PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle is a continuous improvement model developed by ๐จ Deming. Itโs designed to guide organizations in implementing and refining processes through iterative cycles of planning, execution, assessment, and action. Each phase of the cycle is crucial for ongoing improvement:
- Plan
- In this stage, you define your plan based on your goals, objectives, and available resources. You analyze data, identify potential solutions, and determine what changes need to be made.
- Do
- Next, you implement the plan as designed, making sure that all steps are followed according to the plan. You also collect data during this stage to measure how effectively the plan is being executed.
- Check (or Learn)
- After implementing the plan, you review and analyze the results obtained from your efforts. This involves comparing actual outcomes with intended or expected outcomes to identify any discrepancies or improvements achieved.
- Act 2. Based on what was learned in the Check phase, you decide whether to standardize the process as is (if it met its objectives), modify the process to address any issues found, or start a new cycle by refining your plan and repeating the process.